Defining sex in the sporting world

IF 6.1 1区医学 Q1 ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM

Best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism Pub Date : 2025-07-01 DOI:10.1016/j.beem.2025.102005

David J. Handelsman , Stéphane Bermon

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Abstract

At an elite international level, professional sports have a well-established fairness-based binary sex classification which is challenged by male-bodied athletes with female gender identity, notably male-to-female transgender and XY Disorders of Sex Development (DSD) individuals seeking to compete in female events. For sports where success depends on power and/or endurance, physical advantages stemming from male puberty, which produces men’s circulating testosterone concentrations 20–30 times those of children or women at any age, leading to larger and stronger muscles, bones, cardiorespiratory functions and blood hemoglobin. Yet complete suppression of endogenous testosterone after male puberty leaves a legacy of reduced but not eliminated physical advantages. Hence a protected female category in power sports is essential to allow women a fair and safe chance at the fame and fortune derived from success. For community, recreational and youth sports, or those without male physical advantages invoking safety or fairness issues, inclusivity may prevail.

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在体育界定义性别。

在国际精英水平上，职业体育有一个建立在公平基础上的二元性别分类，这受到了具有女性性别认同的男性运动员的挑战，特别是男变女变性和XY性发育障碍（DSD）个体寻求在女性项目中竞争。对于那些靠力量和/或耐力取胜的运动来说，生理上的优势来自于男性的青春期，在这个时期，男性的循环睾酮浓度是任何年龄的儿童或女性的20-30倍，从而导致更大、更强壮的肌肉、骨骼、心肺功能和血液中的血红蛋白。然而，在男性青春期后，内源性睾酮的完全抑制留下了减少而不是消除身体优势的遗产。因此，在力量运动中设立一个受保护的女性类别是必不可少的，这样才能让女性有公平和安全的机会获得成功带来的名声和财富。对于社区、娱乐和青少年运动，或者那些没有男性身体优势的运动，涉及安全或公平问题，包容性可能占上风。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism 医学-内分泌学与代谢

CiteScore

11.90

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism is a serial publication that integrates the latest original research findings into evidence-based review articles. These articles aim to address key clinical issues related to diagnosis, treatment, and patient management. Each issue adopts a problem-oriented approach, focusing on key questions and clearly outlining what is known while identifying areas for future research. Practical management strategies are described to facilitate application to individual patients. The series targets physicians in practice or training.