Are Men Beating Women At The Olympics? - The Truth (comprehensive dissection)

Summary

The video script delves into the complexities of gender eligibility in sports, particularly focusing on the cases of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting, who were disqualified from women's boxing for failing gender verification tests. It explores the nuances of biological sex, the role of androgens, and the debate surrounding fairness in competitive sports. The script also examines the history of sex verification in the Olympics and the varying rules across different sports, highlighting the need for clear and fair criteria to ensure equitable competition.

Takeaways

• 🥊 The script discusses the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting's gold medal wins in Olympic women's boxing due to concerns about potential performance-enhancing advantages from being biologically male.
• 🏅 Both athletes had previously been disqualified for failing a gender verification test, which indicated they might be biological men, but the criteria for eligibility in women's sports is complex and not uniformly applied across sports.
• 🧬 The International Boxing Association (IBA) confirmed that the athletes had 'male karyotype,' suggesting the presence of XY chromosomes typically found in males, which was a key factor in their disqualification.
• 🔬 The debate involves understanding the role of testosterone levels, the SRY gene, and other genetic factors that may contribute to physical attributes and athletic performance.
• 🏆 The IOC (International Olympic Committee) has different criteria for gender eligibility compared to the IBA, leading to a conflict in how to classify athletes like Khelif and Yu Ting.
• 💉 The use of testosterone level cut-offs as a criterion for eligibility in women's sports has been implemented in some sports, but not consistently across all Olympic events.
• 🤔 The script raises questions about fairness in women's sports, considering the potential for individuals with male biological traits to have an unfair advantage over those with typical female biology.
• 🏋️‍♀️ The discussion includes the impact of conditions like Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome and 5 Alpha Reductase Deficiency on physical development and athletic performance.
• 🧐 The script emphasizes the need for clear and consistent criteria for gender eligibility in sports, as well as the importance of privacy and sensitivity in handling such cases.
• 📚 It also highlights the complexity of biological sex determination and the limitations of current testing methods in ensuring a level playing field in sports competitions.

Q & A

What is the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif and Lin Yuting's participation in women's boxing at the Olympics?

The controversy revolves around the fact that both athletes were previously disqualified for failing a gender verification test, which suggested they might be biologically male. This has led to debates about potential performance-enhancing advantages and whether biological males should compete against women in sports.

What is a gender eligibility test, and why is it conducted?

A gender eligibility test is a medical examination conducted to determine an athlete's eligibility to compete in a specific gender category, typically women's sports. It is conducted to ensure fair competition by verifying that athletes meet the necessary biological criteria to compete in their declared gender category.

What is the International Boxing Association's (IBA) stance on Imane Khelif and Lin Yuting's disqualification?

The IBA disqualified both athletes based on the results of a gender eligibility test conducted during the 2023 World Championships, asserting that they did not meet the required criteria and had competitive advantages over other female competitors.

What does it mean to have an 'abnormal' chromosomal analysis in the context of gender eligibility testing?

An 'abnormal' chromosomal analysis in gender eligibility testing means that the individual's complete set of chromosomes does not align with the typical pattern seen in males (XY) or females (XX). In the case of Imane Khelif and Lin Yuting, it was revealed they had a male karyotype, indicating a biological male status.

How does the IOC's stance on eligibility for women's sports differ from the IBA's in the context of the discussed athletes?

The IOC insists that the fighters were born and raised as women, and therefore should be allowed to compete, despite the IBA's assertion that their test results suggest they are biologically male and ineligible for women's boxing.

What is the significance of the SRY gene in determining an individual's sex for sports eligibility?

The SRY gene, found on the Y chromosome, acts as a signal for male development. Its presence typically indicates a male biological status. In the past, the IOC used the detection of the SRY gene as part of sex verification testing for female athletes, but this practice has since been discontinued.

What is the role of testosterone in determining athletic performance and its relevance to gender eligibility in sports?

Testosterone is an androgen hormone that contributes to the development of male characteristics, including muscle mass and bone density, which can influence athletic performance. In some sports, testosterone levels are used as part of the criteria to assess eligibility for female categories, with certain levels requiring suppression for athletes to compete.

What is the history of sex verification in the Olympics, and how has it evolved over time?

Sex verification in the Olympics began with chromosome testing and the detection of the SRY gene. However, due to ethical concerns and the complexity of biological sex determination, this practice was discontinued by the 2000 Summer Olympics. Instead, hormone level cutoffs and specific criteria for conditions like DSD have been implemented to assess eligibility.

What are the implications of the Caster Semenya case for the broader discussion on gender eligibility in sports?

The Caster Semenya case highlights the complexities and controversies surrounding gender eligibility in sports. It brought attention to the need for a nuanced approach to determining eligibility, considering factors beyond the presence of the SRY gene and including hormone levels and their impact on performance.

What is the current guidance from the IOC on transgender athletes in women's sports, and how has it been received by various sports federations?

The IOC's 2021 guidance placed the responsibility on individual federations to determine eligibility criteria for transgender athletes in their respective sports. This has led to different approaches across sports, with some banning trans women entirely, while others have implemented testosterone level requirements for eligibility.

How do differences in lung volume, heart size, and other physiological factors contribute to athletic performance and gender differences in sports?

Physiological differences between males and females, such as lung volume, heart size, and blood volume, can impact athletic performance. Males typically have larger lung volumes and hearts, which can contribute to higher oxygen carrying capacity and cardiac output, providing a potential advantage in endurance and strength-based sports.

Outlines

00:00

🥊 Controversy in Women's Boxing: Eligibility and Advantage

The paragraph delves into the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting's gold medal wins in Olympic women's boxing. It discusses the speculation and public reactions to the possibility of biological men competing against women, potentially creating an unfair advantage. The script mentions that both athletes had previously failed a gender verification test, leading to their disqualification. The narrative also touches on the internet's reaction to an incident where an opponent quit mid-match due to the force of the hits, which she claimed was unprecedented. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the athletes' physical appearances, suggesting a more masculine look compared to the average female, and the complexity of the situation due to missing information.

05:01

🏅 Gender Verification Tests and the IOC's Stance

This paragraph focuses on the gender eligibility tests conducted by the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the resulting disqualification of the athletes in question. It discusses the criteria for these tests, the chromosomal analysis that revealed a male karyotype, and the subsequent interpretation that led to the athletes being deemed ineligible. The IBA's official statement is highlighted, asserting that the athletes did not meet the necessary criteria and had a competitive advantage. The paragraph also touches on the IOC's position, which differs from the IBA's, and the evolving rules regarding transgender athletes and those with differences in sex development (DSD). The IOC's guidance from 2021 is summarized, emphasizing the responsibility placed on individual federations to determine eligibility criteria and the varying approaches across different sports.

10:02

🌐 The Complexity of Eligibility Criteria and Testing

The paragraph discusses the technical differences in competition rules between the IBA and the IOC, the lack of chromosomal analysis and testosterone tests in the Olympics, and the IOC's insistence that fighters are born and raised as women. It also covers the IOC's position on the eligibility of transgender athletes and those with DSD, referencing high-profile cases such as Laurel Hubbard and Caster Semenya. The paragraph explains the new rules from World Athletics that require certain athletes to suppress their testosterone levels to compete in specific women's events, and the controversy surrounding these regulations.

15:02

🧬 History of Sex Verification in Sports

This paragraph explores the history of sex verification in the Olympics, starting with the implementation of the SRY gene test in 1992 by the IOC. It explains how athletes with this gene were initially barred from competing as females but were later allowed to compete after further investigation. The paragraph also discusses the shift from genetic testing to hormone level cutoffs and the eventual discontinuation of sex verification by the 2000 Summer Olympics. It highlights the complexity of sex determination, the role of the SRY gene, and the ethical and practical challenges of implementing sex verification in sports.

20:04

💪 The Impact of Androgen Levels on Athletic Performance

The paragraph examines the role of androgens in athletic performance, focusing on the case of Caster Semenya and the controversy surrounding her participation in women's sports. It delves into the biological aspects of androgens, their impact on muscle growth, and the debate over the fairness of including athletes with higher androgen levels in women's categories. The discussion includes the effects of 5-alpha reductase deficiency and how it can lead to individuals with male levels of testosterone who may not fully masculinize but still retain athletic advantages.

25:06

🤺 The Challenge of Defining Fairness in Sports

This paragraph discusses the challenges of defining fairness in sports, especially when it comes to athletes with unique genetic predispositions or conditions like 5-alpha reductase deficiency. It explores the spectrum of androgen sensitivity and how it can affect an athlete's physical development and performance capabilities. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding the nuances of these conditions and their potential impact on competitive fairness, suggesting that a one-size-fits-all approach to eligibility may not be appropriate.

30:08

🧬 Androgen Receptor Insensitivity and Its Athletic Implications

The paragraph delves into the complexities of androgen receptor insensitivity, explaining how it can manifest in various degrees, from mild to complete, and its implications for athletic performance. It discusses the potential advantages or disadvantages that individuals with androgen insensitivity syndromes might have in sports, highlighting the importance of considering both hormone levels and their functional impact on the body when assessing eligibility for competition.

35:10

🏃‍♂️ The Spectrum of Androgen Sensitivity and Athletic Advantage

This paragraph explores the spectrum of androgen sensitivity and its potential impact on athletic performance. It discusses the anatomical and physiological differences between individuals with varying levels of androgen sensitivity, including bone density, muscle mass, lung capacity, and heart size. The paragraph also touches on the non-genomic effects of androgens, which can influence performance independently of the androgen receptor.

40:13

🤝 The Future of Gender Segregation in Sports

The final paragraph contemplates the future of gender segregation in sports, given the complexities of biological sex and the potential for unique genetic predispositions to influence performance. It questions the validity of maintaining separate categories for male and female athletes when factors such as internal testes and male-level testosterone production can provide significant advantages. The paragraph suggests that the conversation around fairness in sports must consider not only physical attributes but also the broader implications of including individuals with male-typical development in women's categories.

Keywords

💡Gender Verification Test

A gender verification test is a medical examination used to determine an athlete's eligibility for gender-specific sports categories. In the video, it is mentioned that Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting, two female boxers, had previously failed such a test, purportedly revealing they were 'biologic men.' This sparked controversy and debate over fairness in women's sports.

💡Performance-Enhancing Advantage

The term 'performance-enhancing advantage' refers to any unfair advantage an athlete might have over others due to biological, medical, or technological means. The video discusses speculation about whether the boxers in question have such an advantage, questioning if they are biologically male and thus have an unfair edge in women's boxing.

💡Biological Male

A 'biological male' is an individual with male sex characteristics developed from the XY sex chromosomes. The video script raises questions about whether the athletes are biological males, which is significant because it pertains to their physical attributes and potential advantages in sports like boxing.

💡Chromosomal Analysis

Chromosomal analysis is a medical test that examines an individual's chromosomes for abnormalities or specific patterns that can indicate sex and genetic disorders. The script mentions that the boxers' test results revealed 'male karyotype,' which implies the presence of XY chromosomes typically found in biological males.

💡Testosterone

Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone responsible for the development of male reproductive tissues and other male sexual characteristics. The video discusses the role of testosterone in providing a potential advantage in sports performance, and how its levels are regulated in athletes, particularly in the case of Caster Semenya.

💡Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS)

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome is a medical condition in which an individual with XY chromosomes is resistant to androgens, leading to partially or completely female physical characteristics despite having male genetics. The video uses AIS as an example of conditions that can affect an athlete's eligibility and performance in gender-specific sports.

💡5 Alpha Reductase Deficiency

5 Alpha Reductase Deficiency is a condition where the body lacks or has an insufficient amount of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The video explains that this deficiency can lead to ambiguous genitalia and potential performance advantages in sports if not properly addressed.

💡IOC (International Olympic Committee)

The International Olympic Committee is the governing body of the Olympic Movement and oversees the hosting of the Olympic Games. The video discusses the IOC's role in determining eligibility criteria for athletes and its stance on the participation of individuals like Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting in women's boxing.

💡Caster Semenya

Caster Semenya is a South African middle-distance runner who has faced significant scrutiny and controversy over her participation in women's sports due to her naturally high testosterone levels. The video uses her case to highlight the complexities of determining fair competition in sports based on biological sex.

💡Sex Development Disorders (DSDs)

Sex Development Disorders are a group of congenital conditions that affect the development of reproductive or sexual characteristics. The script discusses DSDs in the context of sports eligibility, noting how conditions like 5 Alpha Reductase Deficiency can lead to situations where an athlete's competitive advantage is questioned.

💡Non-Genomic Androgen Signaling

Non-genomic androgen signaling refers to the rapid effects of androgens that occur without the need for interaction with the androgen receptor or nuclear translocation. The video mentions this concept to illustrate that androgens can still have significant effects on an individual's physiology and performance, independent of their genetic makeup.

Highlights

Discussion on Imane Khelif and Lin Yu Ting's gold medal wins in Olympic women's boxing and the controversy surrounding potential performance-enhancing advantages due to biological male traits.

Both athletes were disqualified previously for failing a gender verification test, indicating they might be biological males.

An opponent of Imane Khelif quit mid-match, claiming she had never been hit that hard, raising questions about the impact of biological traits on performance.

The International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified the athletes based on gender eligibility tests, asserting they had competitive advantages.

The IBA confirmed the presence of male karyotype in the athletes, which is typically associated with a male biological makeup.

The IOC and IBA have differing stances on the eligibility of these athletes, with the IOC insisting they were born and raised as women.

IOC's 2021 guidelines place responsibility on individual federations to determine eligibility criteria for transgender athletes.

Many sports have banned trans women from participating in women's categories entirely due to eligibility criteria.

The case of Caster Semenya, a middle-distance runner, is highlighted as a relevant precedent for discussions on fairness in sports.

Semenya has an intersex condition that results in male-level testosterone without full androgen receptor sensitivity.

The history of sex verification in the Olympics and the shift from genetic testing to hormone level cutoffs is discussed.

Different disorders of sex development (DSDs) and their impact on an athlete's performance are examined for their complexity.

The role of androgen receptors and sensitivity in determining muscle growth and athletic performance is explained.

Non-genomic effects of androgens, which can impact performance independently of the androgen receptor, are highlighted.

The debate over the fairness of allowing athletes with certain DSDs to compete in women's categories without strict criteria is critiqued.

The need for clear and fair eligibility criteria in women's sports, especially given the potential for significant biological advantages, is emphasized.

The controversy is framed as an issue of privacy and fairness, where the lack of transparency in testing and criteria can lead to uncertainty.

Transcripts

sup guys Derek more plates.com today we

are touching on imane khif and Lin

yuting and their gold medal wins in

Olympic women's boxing and my analysis

of the current situation is there a

performance-enhancing Advantage is it

literally what people are speculating it

to be where there are biologic men

making it into the Olympics competing

against women and fighting them and

punching them in the head like that is

what a lot of the internet has run with

and and I feel like there's a lot of

missing information though which I hope

to at least elucidate to give more uh

takeaways that could be informative for

the situation and kind of give my stance

on it so basically these two individuals

have uh been disqualified previously

last year for failing a gender

verification test where purportedly they

were verified to be bogic men it seems

like the immane situation has gotten a

lot bigger though in that despite the

fact that they have a pretty similar

situation they both were disqualified

for the same thing imman had one of I

forget which round it was but one of one

of the opponents basically quit

mid-match because she claimed she has

never been hit that hard in her life so

in the middle of the Olympics literally

just throwing in the towel midf fight

cuz you've never been hit that hard and

then this individual comes out shortly

after that they failed a gender

verification test and they've been

disqualified Within you know the last

year from competing the internet went

absolutely haywire and objectively both

of these individuals Lynn and immane

look more masculine than most females

like we can say with relative certainty

that most people would agree that they

look a little bit more masculine than

the average female so all of these

factors together you know it's a [ __ ]

storm so immane and Lynn as far as I

know have never identified as

transgender or intersex but they failed

a gender eligibility test at the 202

three World Championships according to

the international boxing Association IBA

leading to disqualification and another

test was conducted by the IBA to

reconfirm the findings of the first test

which it did according to the June 2023

letter the IBA sent to the ioc which is

the Olympic Committee so the IBA issued

an official statement asserting that the

women did not meet the required

necessary eligibility criteria that were

found to have competitive advantages

over other female competitors however

the IBA which organized the World

Championships but is no longer

Associated and involved with the

Olympics would not initially reveal why

they failed their test what was the

criteria they did not meet at a press

conference literally within the last

week on August 5th the IBA which no

longer oversees Olympic boxing

apparently for concerns about its

integrity and links to Russia and some

other stuff take from that what you will

finally clarified that khif and Lyn's

test results revealed chromosomes that

made them ineligible to compete in the

women's category so the results summary

were abnormal and the interpretation was

chromosomal analysis reveals male karot

type and they both had the same results

a male kot type means the general

appearance of an individual's complete

set of chromosomes is that of a male and

this can be assessed photographically

you can see a depiction of the XY

chromosomes through lab test results and

this is supposedly what happened so this

is a quote the problem was not with the

level of khalif's testosterone because

that can be adjusted nowadays but with

the result of the gender test which

clearly revealed that the Algerian boxer

is biologically male this is apparently

a total of five boxers had been examined

including khif by the IBA and all of

them were indeed men so Umar kremlev the

ib's president then claimed that khif

and Lyn's test results showed very high

levels of testosterone now it's been

unclear if blood test was actually

conducted assessing testosterone levels

for the purposes of assessing gender

classification but even if it wasn't

because there's a lot of stuff being

thrown out right now as to you know did

this stuff actually happen testosterone

levels should be analyzed regardless um

this isn't like for gender verification

purposes necessarily but just straight

up any governing body should know if an

athlete's testosterone levels look male

or not via the biological passport data

that they should otherwise be collecting

via their water accredited steroidal

module so everybody in highle sport

basically any athlete that is subject to

drug testing would under you know water

guidelines would have a water accredited

biological passport that shows

longitudinal data assessing their

Androgen levels and metabolites and the

ratios of them and absolute values for

uh excretion patterns and whatnot so

everyone Hazard testostrone tested via

the steroidal module of the biological

passport this is like the most basic of

testing that should be collected among

all athletes so they should already have

the answer as to if these individuals

have male looking testosterone levels or

not as should the the Olympics you know

the governing body should know this

already they just may not otherwise want

to disclose as far as exclusionary

criteria that the technical and

competition rules that apply to the IBA

are obviously quite different than that

of the ioc you know last year these

individuals couldn't compete at the

World Championships because of these

verific tests via chromosomal analysis

whereas in the Olympics that is not

happening nor are they taking those

tests into consideration whatsoever and

apparently neither are testosterone

tests being done or to the extent that

they're not being considered for

exclusionary criteria so the ioc has

insisted the fighters were born and

raised women but the IBA has continued

to insist its test suggest their

eligibility for women's boxing Ians in

question so IBA doesn't think they

should compete ioc thinks they should

and people should leave them alone kind

of a debacle so what is the ioc's

position on eligibility for women's

sports so this is you know I got

interested because I've seen over the

years the goal post being moved in

multiple different sports and

disciplines depending on how much

scrutiny is happening transgender

athletes that have basically worked

their way into certain Sports and again

by the way to clarify this is not a

transgender situation this is different

but but notably a lot of these rule

changes have kind of happened in light

of some of those like big time

situations that you're probably really

familiar with if this kind of content

interests you at all you know like the

Laurel hubard situation the cyclist the

rugby players like there's a lot of

stuff we've covered on this channel um

and also the Caster smania situation

which we'll get into shortly as well

because it's highly relevant here so in

late 2021 the ioc issued new guidance on

transgender athletes in women's sport

this placed the responsibility on

individual federations to determine

eligibility criteria in their Sport and

since then many sports have banned trans

women from taking part in women's sport

entirely such as Athletics Aquatics and

rugby codes as well tracks World

Athletics tighten the eligibility rules

for female athletes with DSD conditions

so testosterone levels now being used to

assess eligibility not XY chromosomes

which is the pattern typically seen in

men are the key Criterion of of

eligibility in Olympic events where the

sports governing body has framed and

approved rules and starting in March of

2023 it required them to suppress their

testosterone levels to 72 nanograms per

deciliter for 6 months typically through

hormone suppressing treatment

anti-androgens to be eligible to compete

so for contacts the average woman will

typically have a total testosterone

level between 13 and 71 n per deciliter

so 72 it's not like you're at the bottom

of the Barrel in production and you are

literally on the threshold of arguably

too high as is it's a generous I would

say cut off depending on your response

to those hormones which is where we get

into some of these very unique medical

conditions so anyways 72 NS per

desolator remember that it's the top of

the female range that is the cut off

that they have and you can understand

how they ared there at least you know if

they have to come up with something it

kind of makes sense how they arve there

it used to be 10 animals per liter which

is like I think 288 nanograms per deer

and then it was dropped to five nimals

and then now it's 2.5 in a lot of these

Sports World Aquatics prohibited trans

women from competing in women's races if

they had undergone male puberty that was

their you know Line in the Sand

International cycling Union also took

this step last year the swim B's World

leading rules additionally required

transgender women athletes who did not

undergo male puberty to maintain

testosterone levels below the 72

nanogram per destillat cut off however

this where things get complicated the

rules have been applied differently so

there are Sports in which trans women or

athletes with differences of sex

development DSD I probably should have

mentioned what DSD was earlier can

compete boxing is one of those as the

ioc which has been overseeing Olympic

boxing hasn't updated their eligibility

criteria rules and literally the

criteria of Eligibility this year was

based on their passport saying they're

female apparently so the ioc said it

supports the participation of any

athlete who has qualified and met the

eligibility criteria to compete in the

Olympic Games as established by their

International Federation the ioc will

not discriminate against an athlete who

is qualified through their International

Federation on the basis of their gender

identity and or sex characteristics so

you know Troublesome as you can imagine

let's talk about Caster smania I think

that is probably the most prime example

of a gold medal caliber athlete who

underwent similar levels of scrutiny all

but in a different event but in a in a

much less private way but I think it

gave a lot of insight into how these

situations are handled is there a

performance enhancing advantage or not

like outside of the whole ethics

discussions like all this stuff like at

the end of the day we do ultimately want

to know are individuals with these

unique predispositions in a uniquely

advantaged position competing against

women the Castor Sania situation I think

is most relevant to discuss in that uh

pter basically learned of uh how her

Anatomy differs from the typical woman

she is competing against and what

implications that has for performance as

did the public which was unfortunate for

her that it was such a public you know

display of what's going on with her body

it's like very embarrassing I can just

imagine the stress especially when

you're born a certain way certain way

you have no say in it you would just you

know you could be living your entire

life thinking you are just a normal

healthy functioning very very muscular

women and in reality you have like a

unique situation that is not really in

parody and fairness to your you know

female competitors so let's get into it

so basically prime example she you know

gold medal athlete a lot of scrutiny

very public situation messy situation

she is a South African middle distance

Runner and winner of two Olympic gold

medals and three World Championships in

the women's 800 meter following sania's

victory at the 2009 World Champion ship

she was made to undergo sex testing and

cleared to return to competition the

following year the decision to perform

this testing was pretty controversial

you know as far as I know they weren't

really doing this like in the 90s they

basically stopped testing with uh for

gender which we'll get into shortly but

basically sparked a lot of controversy

and later reports disclose that Sania

has the interex condition 5 Alpha

reductase to deficiency and male level

natural testosterone levels you know

pretty a startling discovery

especially if you had no idea going your

whole life thinking that you know you're

just uh uniquely advantaged but you

don't realize you have what we're going

to get into shortly is uh internal

testes so in 2019 new

I World Athletics rules came into Force

for athletes like Sania with certain

disorders of sex development DSD is

requiring medications to suppress

testosterone levels in order to

participate in the 400 meter 800 meter

and 1500 meter women's events Sania

refused to undergo the treatment which

is now mandatory and has filed a series

of legal cases to restore her ability to

compete without testosterone suppression

arguing that the rules are

discriminatory in March 2023 World

Athletics made its rules for sanan and

other DSD athletes even more restrictive

requiring them to lower their test

levels below a threshold of 72 nags per

Deiter for 2 years before competing so

it's getting more and more strict

depending on the event as we'll see

although Sania was assigned female at

Birth she has the intersec condition I

mentioned 5alpha reductase 2 deficiency

and this condition only affects genetic

males with XY chromosomes individuals

with this deficiency have normal male

internal structures that are not fully

masculinized during the development of

the reproductive system in Udo due to

the low levels of DHT that would

otherwise be produced via this enzyme

that is absent in activity essentially

and as a result the external genitalia

may appear ambiguous or female at Birth

Caster Sania has said that she was born

with a vagina and internal undescended

testes but she has no uterus oral opian

tubes and does not menstruate being born

you know without utrus you know being

born with internal testicles those don't

make me less a woman her internal teses

produce natural testosterone levels in

the typical male range so obviously a

problem there for fairness at least you

know a pretty uh highly debated

situation and nowadays highly relevant

given the current situation so now

moving on to history of sex verification

in the Olympics how do they actually

screen for the stuff back in the day and

how do they do it now or do they so the

sex of an individual is usually

determined by a pair of sex chromosomes

typically females have two of the same

XX sex chromosomes males have two

different kinds of sex chromosomes XY Y

chromosome is responsible for triggering

male development and the absence of the

Y chromosome the fetus will undergo

female development you probably heard

that we all start as females like this

is kind of what they're referring to

there are various rare exceptions though

which is what makes this really really

complicated so a single sex determining

region y protein called Sr y you might

have heard of this if you've been

following the situation this sry y Gene

being present on the Y chromosome acts

as a signal to set the developmental

pathway towards masculinization and

mutations in this Gene lead to a range

of disorders of sex development with

varying effects on an individual's

phenotype and genotype and one of the

most controversial uses of this Gene was

as a means of sex verification in the

Olympics under a system implemented by

the ioc in 1992 so athletes with an Sr y

Gene were not permitted to compete as

females although you know many of them

might be assigned female at Birth if

they had this gene they were essentially

told you know you're a man and you can't

compete now at the 96 Summer Olympics

apparently all the athletes in which

this was detected were ruled false

positives and were not disqualified

specifically eight female participants

out of a total of

3,387 at these games were found to have

this Gene however even though they have

this Gene after further investigation of

their genetic conditions all these

athletes were verified as female and

allowed to compete so these athletes

were found to have either partial or

full Androgen and sensitivity despite

having an Sr y Gene making them

externally phenotypically female and in

the late '90s a number of relevant uh

professional Societies in the US called

to eliminate this gender verification

thought it was ineffective and um

seemingly unethical and basically it was

eliminated by the 2000 Summer Olympics

and this was followed with the new

implementation of hormone level cut offs

as a means of assessing you know are

You2 male essentially now you're going

to you can just imagine how this gets

really complicated because if you were

somebody who like by via an analysis

have been determined that you were meant

to go down a developmental pathway that

is biologically male but you otherwise

have a mutation in the gene that encodes

for you know five Alpha reductase or you

have Androgen receptor and sensitivity

so you don't actually respond to the

androgens to actually masculinize to

whatever severity the Androgen receptors

are actually functional or dysfunctional

you have a spectrum of sexuality

essentially whereby individuals may have

partial viralization complete lack of

viralization or otherwise like totally

female essentially with exception of

their like genetic makeup it all is a

spectrum and that's what we're going to

get into now is the actual performance

enhancing Advantage is there one so for

Iman khif and Lynn you know the

situation seems cut and dry if you have

XY chromosomes and a functional Sr y

Gene which is what we can discern from

the test of you know the IBA a lot of

people are saying you shouldn't compete

against swim in full stop that's what a

lot of people will say and I totally

understand why they would conclude that

however what muddies the waters on this

is the huge difference in how different

categories of dsds and conditions can

impact not just your synthesis capacity

of androgens like how much you can

actually make are your testes actually

functional do you actually have them

still because a lot some of these

individuals end up getting gonadectomies

like we're going to get into it all but

in addition like Baseline it's

anatomical infrastructure and the

spectrum of how you respond to those

hormones so in the case of Castro Mania

we know the condition in question was

the specifically five Alpha reductase

deficiency so let's get into that first

because I think this is the most ideal

example of a situation in which an

individual who otherwise is genetically

on the path to becoming a man deviates

from a deficiency in well a mutation in

the gene that encodes for an enzyme that

is responsible for the production of the

male main androgenic hor hormone that

dictates male sexual differentiation and

maturation in adolescence but retains

male advantages via their inherent

testosterone so this is like on one side

of the spectrum a condition in which

this individual probably at least in my

opinion has a significant Advantage

pending their testes are

infrastructurally sound enough to

produce male amount of hormones and this

is where again the imperfect

testosterone test is absolutely not an

ideal way to go about having

exclusionary criteria or whatever when

some of these individuals actually have

complete absence of response at the

Androgen receptor which we'll get into

too but first let's get into this

example because I think it's the most

relevant to kind of set the stage here

so Caster who asserts you know it

doesn't matter what I have my uh what

I'm born with I'm a female you know it's

fine let me compete so basically Caster

situation is a deficiency in this five

Alpha reductase enzyme activity where

and this is literature back you can you

know double check what I'm saying

basically genetic males with male gonads

do not produce enough DHT because they

have a mutation in the SRD 582 Gene so

this mutation prevents five Alpha

reductase from converting testosterone

into DHT adequately

dihydrotestosterone the most androgenic

hormone in the body responsible for an

array of things but the most notable

being sexual differentiation and

maturation

masculinization so depending on the

severity of their deficiency which

notably is a spectrum because again this

mutation in the gene it's not just like

you completely lack the capacity to make

DHT some individuals they need to be

diagnosed via a threshold ratio of

testosterone to DHT or literal analysis

of their genitalia so males with five

Alpha reductase deficiency can be born

with genitalia that is not obviously

male or female it's ambiguous in some

cases their gen Alia appears female or

in other cases they definitively have

male genitalia but it is unusually small

so micropenis with the urethra opening

on the underside of the penis and during

puberty testosterone and DHT Spike

significantly now in general this would

be when individuals undergo full-blown

puberty and totally mature into adult

men so circulating levels of total DHT

or about 1/10th the concentration that

of total testosterone but local

concentrations of DHT can be up to 10

times higher than testosterone in

specific areas of the body to facilitate

full maturation we can get into you know

the chemistry on that and some of the uh

interesting tidbits and I'm highly

tempted to do so but I feel like I'm

going to derail the entire video but

basically what you need to know is DHT

is in bioassays equivalent to 2.5 to 10

fold more potent than testosterone at

the Androgen receptor it's so androgenic

that even though it is you know present

at least systemic obviously tissue

specific is different like overall

concentrations of it in the body are a

fraction of that of testosterone is

still the primary hormone responsible

for the development of secondary sex

characteristics like deepening of the

voice development of facial hair body

hair growth of the penis and scrotum or

it's at least

significantly implicated in reaching

full maturity perhaps is a more accurate

statement so during puberty men with

deficiency in this enzyme do not develop

much facial hair body hair notably no

androgenic alopecia and this is kind of

the Inception of some of these uh hair

loss prevention drugs which operate via

the senz pathway but anyways and they

also have a small prostate many males

with 5 AR deficiency are actually raised

as female until they hit puberty because

they didn't have enough DHT to markedly

differentiate themselves as males pre

puberty so they were born appear to be

female and then you know when they hit

puberty all of a sudden the spike in

testosterone makes it a bit more obvious

that things are not like classically

female once they hit puberty and test

level Spike the penis and other Androgen

supported structur start to enlarge and

but still without the DHT you don't end

up having full maturation penis doesn't

grow to full size like it would um

facial hair doesn't develop prostate

growth doesn't happen as much Etc so

most notable though about this is the

fact that with DHT deficiency with

intact testes and male testosterone

levels you will still have male levels

of performance undoubtedly so with this

condition the gonads can still function

and produce male levels of testosterone

and androgen receptors are fully

functional meaning you get male levels

of bone mass muscle mass General

anabolic activity arthr poesis you know

it's not the arthop pois is still going

to be driven through DHT too but like if

you have male level testosterone you

were getting all of the anabolic

activity that a male would have with

those levels so despite being a more

potent Androgen unlike testosterone DHT

is inactivated by the enzyme three Alpha

hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 Alpha hsd

in muscle via its conversion into a very

weak Androgen known as three Alpha

andran dial so basically DHT is present

in specific tissues to drive sexual

differentiation and maturation but does

almost nothing for muscle growth and

this is very apparent in male

pseudohermaphrodites who are inherently

five Alpha reductase deficient due to

genetic mutations so here's an example

one one study involving Brothers with

different DHT levels the male with

partial this is partial by the way five

Alpha reductase deficiency experienced

reduced sexual development throughout

puberty but actually gained more muscle

mass than his brother this is a picture

of them together the man on the left has

a five Alpha reductase deficiency and

his brother on the right doesn't have a

deficiency the man on the left has a

higher testosterone level so you heard

correct higher and is more muscular and

has less androgenic alpia than his

brother on the right who has normal DHT

level so like you know they look both

like males and one has some of the you

know Hallmarks of natural male

development whereby they sort have

temporal recession Etc but the male with

higher test levels and 5 AR deficiency

still has you know development as a male

just not to this degree that they would

have otherwise with adequate DHT but

notably the biggest takeaway in my

opinion on that is normal muscle so male

level muscle tissue in response to the

male Androgen testosterone that you were

producing so even in studies when this

is you know fully wiped out like almost

essentially manually replicating what is

you know the Castro Mania situation more

or less depending on the actual

structural Integrity of what her uh

goads were capable of producing

testosterone wise which sounds like you

know it was male territory level still

ultimately in studies where adults have

their DHT levels completely wiped out

with a nuclear level 5 Alpha reductase

inhibiting drug called dutasteride at

2.5 milligrams a day which can wipe out

upwards of 98% of systemic DHD if I

recall correctly these participants did

not experience hindered muscle growth at

all and personally I've actually been on

dutasteride myself for hair loss

prevention and despite having lower test

or lower DHT levels than a girl it has

absolutely zero impact on anything

perceivable that I've noticed except for

a bit less back hair now and I don't

lose my scalp hair as fast now so

testosterone pulls the weight from an

anabolic standpoint uh just fine so for

someone to have a 5 AR deficiency as

they grow up it will prevent them from

going through puberty and fully

masculinizing but they still have fully

functioning Androgen receptors and their

body will still masculinize to the

capacity that their natural male level

testosterone levels will allow which is

contingent on the functional capacity of

their testes which will vary but you

know ultimately individuals regardless

if they have full 5 AR deficiency or

partial and again like cter I believe it

was just only deficiency in the type 2

isozyme if I recall correctly you know

the dutasteride example I gave inhibits

all three isozymes which is basically

every type of enzyme that 5 Alpha

reduces testosterone to DHT is

completely nuked into nothingness

through irreversible inhibition at a Max

dose you have probably this same or

lower DHD levels in Castro Mania you

have no inhibited muscle like these

individuals in these studies it's a

highly replicated and repeatable and

predictable finding that DHD inhibition

does not really impact muscle growth

capacity at all so we don't have enough

information though to say this is what

Iman khif and linu have so like with

Caster it was literally analyzed

identified and specified to a degree

that you knew exactly what was going on

you saw the functional capacity of

Caster's testes male level testosterone

levels there was no andro receptor and

sensitivity the only thing that was

going on was there was a lack of DHT

that basically resulted in a growing up

appearing to be female and then not

having full sexual differentiation and

maturation that somebody with adequate

DHT production would otherwise have but

still getting the benefits of a male

from a testosterone and androgen

receptor standpoint so what's going on

with Iman a however you pronounce that

imane and Lynn we don't have enough

information to say and it sounds like

they might not either but again this

this is why I wanted to elucidate the

five Alpha reductase deficiency

specifically because this is one of

these conditions that could result in

somebody who is growing up with what is

essentially female seemingly Anatomy but

has the performance-enhancing advantage

of being a man that is one extreme

example now here are some other ones

which get a bit more complicated so

there are other categories of dsds and

conditions arising from different gen

mutations enzyme deficiencies or an

array of different things that could

appear on paper to be just as unfair you

know your XY you've had this uh the SR y

Gene Etc you know you could fail a sex

verification test but in the same manner

but not actually get a Advantage even

comparable to castania so for example

this is documented in literature five

Alpha reductase type two isozyme

deficiency can be difficult to

distinguish and the the reason I

specified type two is because this is

the one that can actually lead to a

situation in which somebody has

deficiency and DHD significant enough to

create a um like ambiguous gender upon

pre-adolescence so the other isozymes

are not as impactful on sexual

differentiation maturation because 5 AR

type two basically pulls the line share

when it comes to tissue conversion of

DHT to drive masculinization so anyway

just a side note it is the type 2

deficiency in particular that actually

leads to a 46xy DSD looking situation so

5 AR type 2 deficiency can be difficult

to distinguish though from other causes

of 46xy DSD like partial Androgen and

Sensitivity Syndrome for example 17 beta

hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase type 3

enzyme deficiencies among other things

so if you didn't use blood work to

analyze testosterone to DHT ratios and

use precise anatomical Imaging you would

actually find that and by the way also

bone density muscle mass is always going

to be greater in individuals with the 5

AR type D deficiency in contrast to 46

XY DSD from other causes like partial

Androgen and sensitivity and the enzyme

deficiency I just mentioned because the

different net impact on Androgen

mediated transcriptional activity of the

receptor at the receptor itself is is

just not the same so the net outcome

despite having you know XY chromosomes

also high levels of testosterone a

function sry Gene even if you are

externally phenotypically female it's

entirely possible that an individual

could have partial or complete Androgen

and sensitivity so the reason I kind of

brought up this comparison to begin with

is as I mentioned the 5 AR type 2

deficiency can be difficult to

distinguish from other causes when you

just look at an individual they could

undergo the same degree of

masculinization but it's their lack of

DHT and amount of testosterone that is

push them to the point they're at of

whatever spectrum of masculinization

they're at whereas these other

conditions they might have full capacity

to produce DHT they might actually have

high testosterone and DHT but the way

they actually respond to those hormones

puts them at a level that appears to be

similarly masculinized to the 5 AR

deficiency individual but this

individual has the performance advantage

of testosterone and no DHD or almost

none so they basically are

undervirilization

anabolic capacity whereas this

individual does not even have comparable

anabolic like activity whatsoever to

this individual but because of the DHT

production whatever spectrum of Androgen

sensitivity or other condition they have

may put them at the same level as this

like objectively from like a how far on

the spectrum of masculine masculine are

you the equated outcome on performance

is just not the same so anyways

hopefully I I'll get into more detail

that hopefully helps uh make this a bit

more I don't know it brings it home in

some capacity so now let's talk about

Androgen receptors and sensitivity an

individual with this functional Androgen

receptors May respond just enough to the

amount of DHT present to partially

masculinize as DHT is such a potent

Androgen for driving masculinization and

maturation but they may not be

responsive enough to androgens as a

whole to get any actual performance

advantage over women but you know it's a

spectrum some individuals with complete

Androgen and sensitivity may be much

worse off than somebody who has partial

insensitivity likely will be and the

person with complete insensitivity may

be you know equivalent to the lack of

advantages that women have relative to

biologic men or maybe even worse off

like you know I don't know it depends on

the level the severity of which an

individual has in insensitivity and the

functional capacity of their testes to

even make hormones you could have an

individual with complete insensitivity

that has poor testosterone production

and is worse off than a natural totally

healthy verile woman who has no

inhibition to Androgen receptor activity

or their natural testosterone production

you know it would be like the equivalent

to being on a nuclear level castration

drug your entire life essentially if you

were in that situation here's an example

so this is something that can hopefully

illustrate how convoluted this gets so

bicalutamide probably means nothing to

you but it is it is a non-steroidal

antiandrogen so a lot of people have

been talking about puberty blockers

nowadays it's a big Topic in media and a

understandably controversial one because

individuals are getting it's a whole

another video but anyways basically

bicalutamide is a drug that can act as a

puberty Blocker in transgender girls and

it works quite well so hypothetically if

a pre-adolescent male took a mega dose

of bicalutamide to prevent

masculinization that would occur via

androgens interacting with the Androgen

receptor basically this drug act as a

non-steroidal um silent antagonist

meaning it will occupy Androgen

receptors and prevent DHD and

testosterone from binding to it and

doing what it does and you know it does

this fairly well depending on the dose

of bicalutamide let's say somebody's on

a nuclear level dose in pre-adolescence

they will actually have a higher

testosterone level on paper than a male

who is non-medicated but they won't

actually get the effects of that

testosterone and DHD the direct genomic

effects of that Androgen in skeletal

muscle bone and the Brain Etc they won't

have that some individuals actually have

higher testosterone levels as a

compensatory mechanism because their

body has suboptimal response at the

Androgen receptor and needs more

testosterone and DHT than another guy to

achieve the same development or

functionality as someone who could have

you know half the testosterone levels

this is why you know you'll often see

individuals that are twice as jacked as

somebody else but their levels on paper

it doesn't mean that every person that

has more muscle has more testosterone

than the next guy like I know some of

the most Jack guys I know have 500 to

600 total T's whereas I know guys who

have 900 plus naturally who are smaller

you know sometimes it is a reflection of

your body actually needs to produce more

to get the same effect that somebody who

is more sensitive to androgens could get

at a lesser concentration so when

individuals are inhibiting action at the

receptor but have otherwise functioning

testes they end up with higher

testosterone levels on paper so an

individual with in sensitivity to

androgens May otherwise have higher

hormone levels on paper but respond

horribly to those hormones and not

actually get the advantages that they

would impart so you can see how this

gets super complicated now so the lack

of negative feedback in the brain

results in in overcompensation stimulate

as much as this is by camide research 2x

the testosterone levels in the testes as

a normal non-medicated male but the male

on bicalutamide with double the test

levels will not develop like the male

with half the test levels with

uninhibited Androgen receptors so you

could like block puberty with this drug

and have higher testosterone and DHT

levels on paper despite the fact that

you're actually blocking puberty and the

effects of these hormones versus another

guy who has less than half the Androgen

levels go through puberty just fine

because they're not competing at the

receptor with this drug so individuals

with a mutation in the gene that encodes

for filling the blank and causes a

defect in I don't know like Androgen

receptors that are dysfunctional and are

not functioning correctly to impart

transcriptional activity this is a

spectrum by which somebody would

otherwise be able to potentially have

higher hormone levels on paper but

respond so horribly that they actually

have a lesser Advantage than anybody

else essentially who has you know has

fractions of the hormones but proper

response but it's a spectrum so let's

get into that so the subcategories of

Androgen receptor insensitivity these

are critical in my opinion for the

Nuance of this conversation when it

comes to who should be allowed to

compete ver not or just what male level

Advantage Advantage does somebody

potentially have so mild Androgen and

Sensitivity Syndrome is indicated when

the external genitalia are those of a

typical male so a penis and a scrotum

partial Androgen insensitivity syndrome

this is as the name implies partial

insensitivity to androgens at the

receptor and this is the first category

in which an individual is not obviously

male this partial

insensitivity is at a hindered athletic

capacity in contrast to a 5 Alpha

reductase deficiency individual like

castania but they may have similar

levels of masculinization so when the

external genitalia is partially but not

fully masculinized or is ambiguous

entirely these individuals could

otherwise depending on how responsive

they are in actual production of

hormones could be just as masculinized

or lack thereof as somebody with a 5

Alpha reductase deficiency but because

of their insensitivity at the receptor

their testosterone levels do not impart

the same advantages that somebody with a

5 AR deficiency does who has normal

testosterone levels and full capacity to

impart transcriptional activity via the

testosterone at the receptor level now

the next most extreme version of

insensitivity is complete Androgen

insensitivity syndrome this is indicated

when the external genitalia are those of

a typical female vulva now obviously

these are three categories and as you

can imagine there's a spectrum within

these three categories by which things

get as if it wasn't complicated enough

even more complicated because it's like

the identifi identification of this can

be like highly scrutinized as to how

which of these you you fall into as an

individual so hormone levels have been

reported in Gat intact individuals with

complete and Androgen and Sensitivity

Syndrome in a number of studies which is

notable because it really calls into

question the Credence of these

testosterone threshold values to begin

with in Olympic testing and these

individuals hormone levels are similar

to those of males High test levels

relatively low estradi levels but

expectedly even with those high

testosterone levels complete Androgen

and sensitivity syndrome is associated

with decreased bone mineral density and

muscle mass in contrast to healthy

unaffected biological males and bone and

muscle Mass expectedly you know these

categories the higher up on the uh

categorical classification you are from

complete to partial to mild the more

mild it is the closer your bone and

muscle mass will be reflective of that

of a normal biologic male with no issues

at the receptor that is probably logical

most people would assume that to be

logical but it's worth noting Ness now

some of the anatomical differences

between genders I think most are

probably familiar with the fact that

there's obvious differences here and as

you would expect on the spectrum of

masculinization vers maintaining full

femininity you will have differences in

how somebody develops in terms of

anatomical advantages so individuals

with Androgen and sensitivity are

typically going to be taller slightly

longer Limbs and larger hands which

obviously could be advantageous when

punching somebody in a boxing ring also

lung volumes will differ so on the

extreme you have female versus male

there's a difference of 10 to 12% in

lung volume with females having 10 to

12% smaller lung volumes than males and

depending on the spectrum of Androgen

and sensitivity this will impact where

on this differential you actually land

because it could be if it's complete

insensitivity you may be like far on the

end of you know you don't have some of

these same uh advantages from an oxygen

carrying capacity standpoint via

multiple variables not just lung volume

which we'll get into in a sec but in

general females are going to have lower

oxygen update capacity which is expected

females also have about 85% the heart

size of that of males and the volume of

blood that you can actually pump around

the body as a result of that obviously

less heart size of males translates to a

larger stroke volume as well and V2 Max

as a result it's going to be 15 to 30%

higher in Elite males than in females

based on just straight up uh sex

differential in terms of the anatomy

functional capacity of the lungs as well

varies based on even uh propensity to

asthma so Androgen exposure seems to

lower the incidence of asthma so the

more female you are the more likely you

are to have asthma seemingly and if you

have mild in sensitivity versus partial

versus complete this is obviously going

to affect your the probability that you

have severe asthma versus not among

other factors that drive oxygen caring

capacity as well like hematocrite you

know affected individuals do not

menstrate this is notable hugely notable

in my opinion given that if you're

competing in a sport that is highly

dependent on your ability to have Elite

endurance you know not having a period

where you bleed out a bunch of your

oxygen carrying capacity would be

helpful you know you would not have to

worry about that like a you know the

average female would so just quick high

level on red blood cell production worth

noting hematocrit is the percentage of

red cells in your blood and normal

levels in men hematocrite probably it

depends on the reference range in the

lab but you know 40 to 54% it's typical

for men whereas for women it's

approximately 34 to 46% so obviously

Less in women and androgens drive arthr

poesis so the process of making red

blood cells is significantly mediated by

the ability of androgens to increase

arthop potin concentrations so for

somebody with complete Androgen and

sensitivity it's entirely possible the

net outcome of lack of menstration but

concurrent lack of AR mediated arthr

poesis might be you know net neutral net

negative you know it's kind of hard to

say compared to a menstruating female

with full Androgen receptor activity but

there's also obvious leeway given that

this response at the Androgen receptor

is all a spectrum as we mentioned

different categories and individuals who

are also a partial insensitivity you

know based on some of the uh at least

Olympic classifications not that they're

being used now but even back then it was

deemed to be a false positive if you had

partial insensitivity or complete which

is obviously going to be a differential

between how much arthr poesis you can

drive so there could easily be a net

positive outcome if you only have

partial AR and sensitivity and

satisfactory or even male territory

arthr poesis occurring in addition over

the past few decades this is something

that typically is not talked about

evidence has begun to accumulate showing

that the androgens in the body can have

actions independent of the Androgen

receptor and can still impart very

significant rapid actions at the

cellular and organism level without

having to interact with the AR

whatsoever this is known as the non-

genomic pathway and it requires neither

AR nuclear translocation nor AR DNA

binding this is independent entirely

from the Androgen receptor and even

anti-androgens like bicalutamide that we

talked about earlier and flutamide have

no effect on non-genomic Androgen

signaling as evidenced by studies

evaluating if it is indeed the case or

not that this is a AR or ar independent

mediated thing and it turns out that

there is in fact effects of androgens

independent entirely if you were

somebody who had complete insensitivity

if you had natural testost levels that

were that of a male there is some degree

of effect that is happening outside of

the receptor entirely and this is driven

through metabolites into aromatization

into estrogen and a bunch of different

things but it seems to drive Androgen

mediated functions despite not actually

interacting with the Androgen receptor

interestingly so one example is a

notable case report from 2021 that

details the case of a complete Androgen

and sensitivity patient who underwent

gonadectomy at Age 2 six so gonad ectomy

is the actual surgical removal of their

gonads and after they had that removal

they actually had a decrease in libido

like very significant decrease libido

but they were able to reverse it by

using testosterone very interesting

because if this person had complete

Androgen and sensitivity you would think

okay well when you remove their goans

there's going to be no difference in

terms of how they feel how high their

libido is ETC but the fact that it

dropped dramatically and then increased

back up with testosterone therapy

indicates that there's something going

on Independent of the AR so testosterone

therapy led to a robust increase in

sexual function which is inconsistent

with a genomic action of testosterone

and it is speculated you know this could

be partly mediated by Central

aromatization because estrogen does

Drive some level of sexual function for

sure if you've ever crushed your

estrogen with aromatase Inhibitors or

bodybuilders know just how bad it can be

to have low estrogen but High test you

can still have no libido but it is

thought to also be mediated by

non-genomic actions of androgens because

exogenous estradi therapy in individuals

with complete Androgen and Sensitivity

Syndrome was not effective like

testosterone was in reversing this so a

recent randomized crossover trial with

26 complete Androgen and Sensitivity

Syndrome patients also found that

exogenous testosterone did lead to an

improvement in sexual function so there

is little debate as as well when it

comes to psychoactive effects that

better motor skills visual spatial

skills and pro perception will improve

coordination and subsequent athletic

performance the sex specific

connectivity of sub networks in the

brain are thought to underly the ability

of males to show consistently higher

levels of performance in these areas and

you know when we see these non- genomic

effects of androgens you can't help but

think there seems to be some effect

independent of AR that is traditionally

like masculinizing through non genomic

effects and then for somebody with

partial activity or partial response you

can assume they're going to have some of

these like male characteristic effects

that otherwise give them a uniquely male

Spectrum level advantage over females

and that's just over females without any

predispositions like this which is just

the reality so depending on the mutation

a person with a 46xy carot type and

androgen and Sensitivity Syndrome can

have either a male or female phenotype

or may have genitalia that are only

partially masculinized and ultimately

this insensitivity syndrome is the

largest single entity that leads to

46xy under masculinized genitalia so

even with unethical level scrutiny if

you want to call it that someone with

partial Androgen and Sensitivity

Syndrome could still pass like the most

crude sex verification test if they are

exempting all individuals that are XY

with partial Androgen and Sensitivity

Syndrome and complete they could compete

against women and potentially depending

on the condition and severity have a net

Advantage via higher testosterone levels

some level of direct genomic effects if

they have partial insensitivity the full

capacity of the non- genomic effects of

androgens which are becoming more well

understood as the years pass and more

literature emerges longer limbs bigger

hands being taller more muscle mass

depending on the severity bigger lungs

potentially bigger heart less prone to

asthma more of arthop poesis not

menstruating there are a lot of factors

here so in the Caster Sania case

revisiting this for a final time the

extreme example of somebody who's a Gold

Medal winner but has fully functional

internal testes producing male level

testosterone functional Androgen

receptors having undergone full

development or at least the development

to which the testosterone levels allow

masculinization wise but on the muscle

tissue bone mass Etc side like that is

full capacity of those natural

testosterone levels without inhibition

via anti Ander cuz this wasn't a

mandatory requirement when Caster was

competing until she decided not to

compete anymore cuz she would not abide

by those rules but she was able to still

win when that was not a requirement like

it's hard to argue that that individual

with that specific set of circumstances

does not have a significant unfair

Advantage you know you could argue the

whole you know individuals who have

unique genetic predispositions like

Michael Phelps or whatever that result

in unique performance advantages over

competitors You could argue that well

this is just that again but then it it

calls into question what is the validity

or actual like point of even even having

segregated gender categories at all like

we have Men Sport and women sport like

does it even make sense at this point

when you are just claiming that an

individual who is has internal testies

that produces male level testosterone

levels and fully response to those

testosterone levels is a superior female

like that's basically what you're

claiming from performance standpoint if

you wanted to shoehorn that person into

a you know female division that's not to

say that it's fair for that person but

it's certainly not fair for women who

have to deal with normal female

physiology to compete against somebody

who has literal male development like

that is not fair so I would say in the

case of the five Alpha reductase

deficiency depending on the person

depending on the functional capacity of

the testes Etc like that is a situation

where that person should have been

probably identified and subject to

either I don't necessarily think that

the whole anti-androgen situation the

threshold C offs I don't necessarily

think that's a perfect system but at the

end of the day Caster should not in my

opinion somebody with that level of

unique uh predisposition should not be

put in the exact same playing field as

somebody who literally does not have

these same organs to work with you know

like it's different when you talk about

males to have specific Anatomy for males

that give them an advantage like Michael

Phelps or mutations and genes that

encode for some process that is

significantly more efficient than

another male but at the end of the day

like this is the criteria we're dealt

with is segregating Sport by gender once

you start to shoehorn individuals with

male territory performance via their

male predisposed development that they

actually were supposed to go down should

they not have had a mutation in the gene

that encodes for five Alpha reduct a

like you've essentially defeated the

Integrity of these gender categories

entirely to which it's like what's the

[ __ ] point you might as well have

everyone compete against everyone at

this point which is obviously dumb but I

mean I don't think that that case makes

sense to have somebody with that unique

of an advantage competing against just

straight up women without internal

testies however what is the takeaway for

this situation with Yan khif and Lynn so

I think chromosomes matter I think think

the genes matter I think the hormone

levels matter and I think the DSD

category plus medical condition of these

Fighters matters I think a lot of this

information we just went over is of

critical importance to carefully

evaluate in a nuanced manner among each

fighter and it was essentially just

thrown out the window in Olympic boxing

seemingly as there was not only no sex

verification testing but there was also

no testosterone threshold C offs or

regulated limits in the Olympics nor

were there you know mandatory

anti-androgen requirements or anything

of that nature I am not to say that

that's a perfect system but at the end

of the day like there was nothing in

place to prevent somebody from competing

who has you know even greater

predispositions than you know Caster

seemingly so despite you know neither of

those tests are perfect and there's a

ton of room to maneuver and cheat that

system but there's a reason why other

sports at least have cut offs in place

to do something to try and somewhat

allow parody here and to be inclusive so

despite other sports in the Olympics

this year having rigorous C offs there

is no formal oversight body for boxing

supposedly the ioc created an ad hoc

boxing unit to temporarily oversee the

boxing competition in Paris and this

unit has no guidelines for gender

eligibility seemingly or the extent to

which it is is basically allowing boxers

to compete as females if they have

female gender markers on their passports

or legal documents so if you had a

passport that showed you were a female

you were eligible to fight in the

women's category that is what we've been

led to believe so to determine if Iman

khif or Lin yuting have a semblance of a

male level Advantage they need to be

tested and until the ioc makes clear

what their specific criteria is for

eligibility above and beyond what's on

your passport and how they're ensuring

fairness in situations like this that

can be you know debated at that point as

to if that criteria is sufficient or not

we can only assume you know without any

more information that there is a

possibility that under viralized men are

winning gold medals in women's sports at

an Olympic level and also punching women

in the head in the ring like that's with

the lack of information given we can

assume that that is certainly a

possibility and it's wild that this is

occurring in 2024 it's very unfortunate

that these two individuals that again

not born as biologic men going through

full puberty and then transitioning to

women and then trying to compete in

boxing or something these individuals

are born as women and believe

wholeheartedly that they are just

natural normal healthy young women and

all of a sudden are thrust under

scrutiny like this and basically getting

[ __ ] on by the public for having

competed against women it's a highly

contentious and weird

situation and I also do uh empathize

with those individuals who really

probably have no clear-cut understanding

of what's going on like this is

seemingly a very recent thing they were

disqualified and who knows if they know

what that means or why they were

disqualified and if it made sense cuz if

you were disqualified last year for

something in your test and then in 2024

you were eligible it's like okay well

you would think at the highest level of

sport in the Olympics whatever their

tests are would be the criteria of which

is okay I'm obviously good to go nor

would you even think like hopefully I

can fin this test cuz you just think

you're a woman this entire time which

you know you could be unless you're told

otherwise via proof and you have some

sort of clear-cut test eligibility

requirements that would dictate that you

are or aren't you can't have somebody

getting away with having a 5 AR

deficiency with male level test levels

and punching women in the head so

hopefully that's not the case and

hopefully they have I guess the spectrum

of Androgen and sensitivity that would

otherwise net out to female territory

performance levels but we have no idea

if that the case and we will not know

unless more information is presented

that may be otherwise too much of a

privacy concern to be releasing to the

public at which point it's like okay

well I don't know does it just suck for

you then if you're an individual born

like this maybe unfortunately but I also

think that for fairness of women's sport

you almost have to have that level of

scrutiny all but maybe not publicized to

the public but there should be clear-cut

criteria that somebody needs to meet

that the public knows what the criteria

is and then the athletes are tested

accordingly to determine that they don't

have response to male level Androgen

levels that is reflective of that of a

male I think that's a fairly General and

logical statement I'm got a my brain is

absolutely [ __ ] warped at this point

but hopefully you guys uh learned

something from that found it interesting

wild controversial situation and without

the actual specific categorical

identification and medical condition and

Analysis of hormone levels and

chromosomes and genes we have no idea at

the end of the day if this is fair or

not so to be determined maybe but

hopefully these individuals are

otherwise you know equated to what is

just a you know normal functioning woman

at the end of the day when it comes to

the capacity for you know muscle

building blood building bone mass Etc

but it's hard to Overlook some of these

anatomical differences and even slight

sensitivity at the receptor and these

non- genomic effects and the fact that

individuals likely if they have internal

testes have male level hormone levels

it's like really hard to overlook that

there should be higher scrutiny on this

than a [ __ ] passport so anyways let

me know what you guys think in the

comments down below all the comments

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