# pooling male and female data may hide meaningful physiological differences > Moreover, if sex differences exist, then the pooling of data increases variability and may be such that there is less statistical power to detect a meaningful physiological difference than the original sample size might have suggested, unless accounted for in the design phase[[(O’Halloran, 2020)#^rz3r1]] > There are clear gaps in the knowledge base and perhaps a risk of a skewed understanding of ‘normal’ physiology in a healthy population.[[(O’Halloran, 2020)#^foq5e]]