Fig. 4

Sex-specific biomarker responses predicted by joint health outcomes and demographic information. A Pre-season, B In-season, and C Full study. Interval plots were produced in Minitab with 95% confidence intervals for the mean of each predictor level, pooled standard deviation for the intervals, and post-hoc ANOVA with Tukey’s group comparisons on a 0.05 significance level of adjusted p-values. Letters denote Tukey’s multiple comparison groups, e.g., statistically significant differences between groups, such as A vs. B but not A vs. AB. A subset of females reporting higher WOMAC scores demonstrated statistically significant elevations to in-season leptin and pre-season C2C levels. In C), pre-season MMP-3 responses were rank ordered by intensity with the upper and lower third profiled due to split responses of BMI. Female ranchers in the lowest third for pre-season MMP-3 levels were also in the highest third for pre-season leptin levels, and the opposite was true for males. Leptin trends may inversely correlate with MMP-3