Thread by @KirstiMiller30

Sports need to move beyond policing biologically natural bodies and the resultant exceptional scrutiny of extraordinary women.

Current science suggests that any advantage that might be conferred by elevated T levels is so complex that testosterone levels alone are a nearly useless indicator of advantage, and certainly not an appropriate measure for determining eligibility.

Unlike doping, elevated endogenous hormones are not external to the athlete’s body and are not added intentionally to confer advantage over competitors (i.e., cheating).

Even if some sort of evaluation were available that could decisively link endogenous testosterone levels to sporting ability (the traits of which would vary considerably by sport as well),

endogenous testosterone should be viewed as no different from other biological advantages derived from exceptional biological variation.

Numerous biological advantages that everyone accepts are frequently found in groups of elite athletes. Several runners and cyclists have rare mitochondrial variations that give them extraordinary aerobic capacity and exceptional resistance against fatigue.

Basketball players who have acromegaly, a hormonal condition that results in exceptionally large hands and feet, are not banned from competition.

Perfect vision exists among baseball players at a significantly higher rate than in the general population.

Many have also speculated that Michael Phelps, the record-breaking Olympian swimmer, has Marfan’s syndrome, a rare genetic mutation that results in exceptionally long limbs and flexible joints that help to make him an exceptional swimmer.

Some elite athletes have variations in the ACE gene (which affects muscle growth and efficiency) and in the NOS gene (which affects blood flow to skeletal muscles).

Elite athletes thus already display myriad types of biological and genetic advantages. Endogenous testosterone is a naturally occurring phenomenon and therefore no different than any other exceptional biological variation in the human body.

In sum, there is a great deal of mythology about the physical effects of testosterone and other androgens.

Optimal levels of testosterone is one of many factors that is necessary for athletes to achieve their own “personal best,” but comparing testosterone levels across individuals is not of any apparent scientific value.