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Testosterone is a vital sex hormone for both men and women. It plays a crucial role in maintaining bone density, muscle mass, sex drive, and overall health, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, our bodies naturally produce less testosterone as we age, leading to various health issues, including obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, WebMD explains. Fortunately, several ways to maintain healthy testosterone levels include regular exercise and a balanced diet. You may be surprised to learn that some foods can negatively impact testosterone production, leading to lower levels of this essential hormone. That's why we chatted with health and nutrition experts who discuss seven testosterone-killing foods you should avoid if you want to maintain optimal testosterone levels.

From processed foods to sugar-laden snacks, certain foods can wreak havoc on our hormones, including testosterone. By understanding which foods to stay clear of, you can make smarter dietary choices and help ensure your body functions at its best. So, whether you want to improve your athletic performance or simply maintain your health as you age, read on to discover seven testosterone-killing foods you should always avoid.

"Drinking more than one or two drinks per day can lower testosterone levels in men by disrupting the signals from the brain to the testes for testosterone production and decreasing the ability of the testes to produce the hormone in other ways," Kelsey Kunik, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition advisor for Zenmaster Wellness, tells ETNT."Alcohol also disrupts sleep, which studies have found can cause a 10 to 15% drop in testosterone production."

Alcohol affects your liver's ability to break down estrogen, which leads to a decrease in testosterone production. So if you want to maintain healthy testosterone levels, limit your alcohol consumption.

RELATED: 5 Exercises for Men To Increase Testosterone

Spearmint is a popular herb often used in teas and other beverages. However, it has been found to have anti-androgenic effects, which means it can reduce testosterone levels. This is particularly true when consumed in large amounts, so it's best to avoid it to maintain healthy testosterone levels.

"While spearmint's testosterone-lowering effects could benefit women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), research needs to be done on how spearmint can affect testosterone levels in men," says Kunik.

Sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas and energy drinks are loaded with added sugars and can lead to weight gain and obesity, research shows. As a result, sugary drinks can have a negative effect on testosterone levels. For example, a study published in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology found that high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was significantly associated with low testosterone in U.S. adult males aged 20 to 39.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

"Sugary drinks and other sugary foods raise blood sugar, which creates a hormonal cascade effect that lowers testosterone production," explains Kunik. "High blood sugar prevents the pituitary gland from producing enough luteinizing hormone, which helps stimulate testosterone production in the testes."

RELATED: 50 Best Foods for Men

Refined carbs from bread and pastries can have a negative effect on testosterone levels because of their high sugar content, which contributes to weight gain and obesity.

"Several studies suggest that testosterone levels may drop from eating out frequently," says Denise Coventry, RD, a registered dietitian specializing in gastrointestinal health. "Your diet quality can change with large portions of bread, pastries, and desserts without balancing the need for dark green vegetables and wholesome meals made at home."

Processed meats, such as sausages and bacon, are often high in saturated fat and have been linked to various health problems. They can also have a negative effect on testosterone levels. According to a study published in Human Reproduction, men who consumed high amounts of processed meat had a 15% lower volume of testosterone and a 37% decrease in sperm count.

"Studies have found low testosterone levels and low-quality sperm in men who consumed more processed meats and their diet was lower in beans, legumes, vegetables, and dairy," states Nicole Ibarra, RD, a registered dietitian and nutrition coach.

RELATED: 21 Foods To Increase Sex Drive & Libido, According to Science

"Regularly eating an abundance of high-calorie, high-fat foods like fast food combo orders of burgers and fries might not be helping your sex hormones, including testosterone," cautions Caroline Thomason, RD, CDCES, a Virginia-based registered dietitian. "Forming healthy habits around eating less fast food is a great place to start [for optimal testosterone levels.]."

Research shows that fast food is often loaded with unhealthy fats, added sugars, and excess caloriesa recipe for unhealthy weight gain that can negatively impact testosterone levels.

Flaxseed rounds out our list of testosterone-killing foods. Research suggests that consuming large amounts of flaxseeds can lead to a decrease in testosterone levels in men. For example, a study published in Urology found that men who had prostate cancer and were supplemented with flaxseed experienced significantly reduced testosterone levels.

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Out-of-whack hormones can affect anyone. Physical activity and nutrition are keys to balance.

In this era of ubiquitous ads for standalone men's health clinics and testosterone-boosting products, some people seem to think of testosterone as just a little something extra: a boost that guys might want to add to their daily supplement cocktail.

There's so much more to testosterone. It's definitely not a daily B-complex vitamin you thoughtlessly gulp down with your morning coffee. Poorly calibrated testosterone levels can have effects both subtle and not so subtle on all sorts of bodily functions.

It's a two-way street: The lifestyle choices we make have a tremendous impact on our hormones. The ways we choose to eat, exercise, sleep and celebrate can all exert a great deal of control over our natural testosterone production.

Find out how diet and nutrition affect testosterone production, as well as how exercise can help your body optimize testosterone levels. Learn how testosterone isn't just for guys and estrogen isn't just for women.

It's true that testosterone gives males many of their typical characteristics. The tsunami of testosterone that washes through boys during adolescence results in adults with deeper voices, body and facial hair, larger muscles and a healthy, functioning reproductive system.

Testosterone is also at play for assigned female at birth (AFAB) people who transition to male later in life. Transgender men are often given testosterone injections and other hormone therapies to help them feel less gender dysphoric in their bodies and give them more typically male characteristics.

Know that testosterone is a naturally produced hormone that all human bodies make throughout their lives. As such, it's very much affected by the type of fuel you feed the machine: garbage in, garbage out, as they say.

"Eating behaviors that often result in weight gain, like eating processed foods and large-portion sizes, may also lead to the development of chronic diseases like heart disease and insulin resistance," said Amy Pearlman, M.D., a men's health specialist and co-founder of Prime Institute in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. "And chronic illness is also associated with low testosterone levels."

Conversely, it's fairly well known that a diet rich in whole foods, low in processed foods and sugars, and high in fiber has an impact on so many aspects of our health. It's no surprise that one of those areas is testosterone production.

However, it's buyer beware if you put too much stock in articles that make claims such as, "These five superfoods will instantly boost your testosterone!"

The science simply isn't there yet to strongly assert that specific foods directly affect testosterone levels, according to Pearlman.

"The impact of nutrition on testosterone hasn't been teased out to provide concrete recommendations," she said. "The impact of specific macro/micronutrient diets and types of calories on male sex hormones have been studied. But some studies show changes in male sex hormones with various nutritional intake, whereas others show no association. The impact of calorie restriction is also unclear."

There is, however, one major exception, and it means bad news for all you soda lovers out there.

"Data suggest that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages with high-glycemic loads results in an immediate decrease in total testosterone and free testosterone," Pearlman said.

A study of a group of men with various degrees of glucose tolerance, both healthy and unhealthy, showed a 25 percent drop in testosterone levels that lasted for at least two hours after they ingested a 75-gram glucose tolerance test about two Coke's worth of sugar. Around 15 percent of the subjects saw their post-glucose testosterone levels drop to the point of being hypogonadal, or meeting the clinical definition of low testosterone.

Apart from diet especially giving up soda the other good news about our ability to control our own testosterone levels has to do with exercise and the scope of its benefits. Consider the major ways we can naturally boost testosterone production:

Of these, exercise might be the most exciting, simply because it can enhance so many of the other strategies. For instance, regular exercise helps with weight control and regulating sleep. You could even say it discourages drinking too much, because who wants to work out with a hangover?

"We know that excess body weight either overweight or obese is very common and can also result in low testosterone levels," Pearlman said.

The great news is that the research suggests for men with obesity, adding a regular exercise program to their dietary weight-loss regimen consistently shows improvement in testosterone production.

One yearlong study from 2008 recruited a group of men who hadn't previously engaged in regular exercise. Researchers found their levels of the androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) a crucial metabolite of testosterone that's three to six times stronger than testosterone itself jumped by nearly 15 percent.

Another study, this one from 2012, suggested that men who exercised regularly not only had healthier hormone numbers than sedentary men, but also had healthier semen.

In other good news for men who are overweight or obese, a 2016 study showed that exercise did more to increase testosterone levels than losing weight.

Finally, it's high time to debunk the mythos around testosterone being "the dude's hormone" and estrogen being "the hormone for the ladies."

As noted above, all humans, including cisgender and transgender people all along the spectrum, naturally produce some amount of testosterone and estrogen. It just happens that males organically produce more testosterone, and females produce more estrogen.

However, for guys who are considering testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), understanding the delicate balance of these paired hormones and how they work is crucial.

Too much testosterone can kick your natural estrogen production into high gear. That's part of the reason it's inadvisable to attempt do-it-yourself TRT or to go to a single-solution clinic that doesn't do the proper prescreening and/or follow-up bloodwork once it has started you on TRT.

That can cause significant problems.

"Testosterone gets converted to estrogen via an enzyme called aromatase, and it's present in a variety of cells in the body and it's also present in fat cells," Pearlman said. "Some people will convert a lot of their testosterone to estrogen. And when estrogen is too high, it can cause breast tenderness, breast swelling and retaining fluid, but we can put people on medication to block that conversion."

Balance is the key. Don't be fooled into thinking TRT is something you can take up casually.

It's true the human body is a remarkable machine, and we know a lot about how to gently and effectively nudge its inner workings in one direction or another, but clumsily, thoughtlessly messing with your hormones can cause serious trouble.

Before you decide low-T is the reason for your symptoms, consult your physician. Don't have a doctor you see regularly? You should. Fortunately, telehealth makes it easy to connect with a professional who can answer your questions and evaluate your situation. Many physicians offer same-day video visits. Giddy Telehealth is an easy-to-use online portal that provides access to hundreds of healthcare professionals whose expertise covers the full scope of medical care.

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Going through menopause can be tough as you suffer through hot flashes and other unpleasant symptoms. Testosterone pellets are one of the best ways to curb menopause symptoms, yet few women know about or use them.

As womens bodies taper out of their child-bearing years, they experience menopause. In some cases, the transition involves any or all of nine unpleasant symptoms.

While many women simply ride out the symptoms over a few months or even several years, others try a variety of tactics to decrease discomfort. Those range from herbal supplements to estrogen replacement therapy, which might involve a pill, ring or cream.

Testosterone pellets are an alternative that have been found to work remarkably well. They are tiny time-release pellets containing low-dose testosterone.

These pellets are a good bet for nearly all menopausal women, even those with medical challenges. To determine the best dose for you, your doctor will test your blood beforehand to assess your natural hormone levels.

Then the process works like this:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet approved testosterone therapy, but it is not a new treatment for curbing menopause symptoms. In fact, testosterone therapy has been an option for decades. The treatment has been licensed to use in England and Australia for more than 60 years.

Researchers have compiled growing evidence to prove that using it is safe, even in the long term, according to a recent study on the complications of subcutaneous hormone-pellet therapy.

Still, testosterone pellets remain under the radar in the United States. In terms of popularity, the treatment is ranked at 12 percent, while estrogen, at 43 percent, ranks only below diet and exercise as the most used. Thats according to a new online national survey commissioned by Orlando Health and conducted by The Harris Poll.

If youre experiencing fatigue, brain fog or other menopausal symptoms, talk to your doctor about actions you can take to feel better.

Be sure to include testosterone pellets in the discussion, even if youre the one to bring it up. Testosterone therapy helps many women feel better within days of treatment. Once a pellet is inserted, youll likely have more energy to enjoy life. It might also boost your sex drive and decrease vaginal dryness, improving your romantic relationship with your partner.

Other than discomfort due to the incision used for the implant, testosterone pellets have few side effects, which can be discussed with your physician.

Testosterone pellets are a simple solution and are an option for virtually every patient regardless of their medical condition or history.

Sign up to receive the latest health news and trends, wellness & prevention tips, and much more from Orlando Health.

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When Israel Adesanya knocked out Alex Pereira during the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 287 on Saturday night, the crowds reaction was explosively epic.

Fans encircling the octagon at Miamis Kaseya Center erupted in their seats at the moment of impact, perfectly exemplifying what one Florida sports professor describes as aggression-seeking desire. What is behind this primal human craving, and why do events like live UFC matches quench it for spectators? It all comes down to testosterone.

In the past, humans competed against others to secure resources, and to express aggression was a way to survive, said Yonghwan Chang, Ph.D., an assistant professor of sport management at the University of Florida (UF). In modern society, we dont need to fight in that way anymore. But, from an evolutionary psychology perspective, spectator sports like mixed martial arts (MMA) (which form the basis for the UFC) are part of humans desire to express that same type of aggression.

This desire is really just a yearning for more of the hormone that ups vitality, energy and strength (which is often boosted through direct physical activity). Nothing provides a secondhand boost of testosterone quite like witnessing a live, action-packed sport firsthand. And experiencing blood competitions such as the UFC, Dr. Chang said, take this vicarious hormonal hit to another level.

People can alleviate and soothe their aggression and expression of desire through watching sporting events like the UFC, Dr. Chang said. Spectators feel like the athletes performance is their performance, and they can satisfy their aggression needs through the experience. Watching brutal sports like MMA perfectly satisfies that desire.

In other words, its a productive way to express aggression (similar to lifting weights at the gym or taking a boxing class) but in a much more indirect way. Even the smaller elements of events like UFC matches appeal to spectators primal instincts.

At UFC events, the background music is much louder than at other sporting events, and that alone makes people feel more anxiety and fearfulness (which is helpful for expressing more aggression because it heightens their emotions), Dr. Chang said. Also, the perceived calmness and loudness of announcers commenting make people have more anxiety, so that too is helpful to alleviate the aggression expression desire.

To further explore the effects of testosterone on sports spectators, Dr. Chang co-authored a paper with Daniel L. Wann, Ph.D. for Frontiers in Psychology in February entitled Effects of Game Outcomes and Status Instability on Spectators Status Consumption: The Moderating Role of Implicit Team Identification.

The major tenet of the biosocial theory of status is that winning a competition results in an increase in the level of testosterone, the co-authors wrote. Thus, an individual who won a competition not only feels higher status because of victory, but also desires continued success in subsequent competition as a result of increased levels of testosterone.

In the case of the UFC 287 event over the weekend, Adesanya fans who watched the decisive knockout at 4:21 of the second round won right along with their favored athlete. It was a barbaric triumph for the event headliner, as Adesanya regained the UFC middleweight championship.

The vicarious victory was palpable, as the fans were jumping up and down, hugging their peers and collectively overcome with emotion. Adesanyas fight was their fight, too. And the healthy, indirect testosterone hit it produced will undoubtedly keep them coming back to the octagon for more.

Abby Weingarten April 11, 2023

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IRVING, Tex.

In a case study, a 54-year-old male patient with a spontaneous fracture and osteoporosis achieved an almost complete recovery of osteoporosis after one year of pelleted testosterone therapy and experienced improvements in quality of life and sleep apnea. The results of Subcutaneous Testosterone Pellet Therapy for Reversal of Male Osteoporosis: A Review and Case Report were published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Aging Male, the official journal of the International Society for the Study of the Aging Male.

As described in the study, the patient, also a triathlete, had a non-fall-related tibial plateau fracture while stepping out of his ski boot after a normal day of snow skiing. Following this fracture, the patient was treated by an orthopedic surgeon and had casting and bracing for his left tibia for 3months. A subsequent DEXA scan showed osteoporosis in his spine and femoral neck, at which point the patient sought to address his osteoporosis with hormonal treatment.

Lead author Dr. Bruce Dorr, an educational consultant for Biote, provided counseling to the patient and then initiated testosterone pellet therapy together with 10,000IU/day of a vitamin d3k2 nutraceutical formulation and DIM (diindoyl methane) 300mg, a nutraceutical grade formula known to prevent aromatization, a process that turns testosterone into estrogen. After three months the patients testosterone level was up to 943 ng/dL, and after one year of continued testosterone therapy the patients repeated DEXA scan showed an improvement to his composite bone density, substantially normalizing his total hip bone density. The patient also returned to performing triathlons one year after the beginning of testosterone pellet therapy.

Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is produced in both men and women and as people age, their testosterone level tends to decline. In addition to age, there are many factors that can cause low testosterone such as stress, poor lifestyle choices, poor diet and bad habits such as lots of alcohol or smoking, not sleeping well and not drinking enough water. All of these factors can lead to metabolic problems that impede the bodys ability to produce testosterone, resulting in low levels. Low testosterone in men is associated with a clear decrease in bone mineral density, which in turn is associated with a significant increase in bone fractures.

The remarkable improvements that this patient experienced after only one year highlight the urgent need for more data about the potential benefits of a higher, sustained consistent testosterone level when treating low bone density, explained Dr. Dorr. Currently there is a lack of standardization in the diagnosis of testosterone deficiency and no clear guidance for providers to follow, resulting in countless patients being denied a potentially effective treatment path. In this specific patients case we not only observed a dramatic response to elevated testosterone levels but believe his fracture would likely have been prevented with appropriate therapy continued Dr. Dorr.

An estimated 10 million people age 50 years and older have osteoporosis in the United States, with just over 43 million more with low bone mass, putting them at increased risk for the disease. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPH) recently created a Workgroup to address emerging issues such as decreasing drug use in the treatment of osteoporosis and the high rate of hip fractures, hypothesizing that unanswered questions have made providers less likely to prescribe these drugs to people who need them.

These results demonstrate that in an ideal setting, testosterone replacement therapy should be based on the patients symptoms and not solely on lab values, stated Dr. Mickey Karram, a research consultant for Biote and a co-author of the study, who noted that guidelines recommend a testosterone level of 300 ng/dL as a diagnostic threshold for treatment. The specific delivery mode of treatment is another crucial element, continued Dr. Karram, with the patient finding it easier to maintain his therapy with subcutaneous pellet administration.

We have barely scratched the surface in discovering the potential benefits of hormone optimization, and this case study exemplifies the extreme impact successful therapy can have on an individuals quality of life, said Terry Weber, CEO of Biote. As we continue to add to the body of clinical research about hormone therapy, real life successes continue to inspire us. Generating and sharing scientific evidence, whether a single case or large scale study, brings us closer to establishing mainstream treatments that will impact the health of people around the globe.

###

Biote is a hormone optimization company that has translated over 80 years of scientific insight into a rigorous curriculum and clinical training program that teaches providers how to identify and treat imbalances in the production of hormones. By partnering with over 5,300 medical providers across the United States, Biote is educating practitioners on the scientific evidence of the roles of hormones and supplements to support improved health, and on responsible treatment of patients. We are dedicated to changing the way healthcare is practiced on a global level.

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Modified Apr 15, 2023 12:31 GMT

Israel Adesanya reclaimed the middleweight title at UFC 287 last weekend after knocking out Alex Pereira in Round 2 of their clash. 'The Last Stylebender' defeated a man that many believed to be his kryptonite, as Pereira had previously beaten Adesanya three times in combat sports.

Adesanya overcame enormous mental hurdles on his way to victory last weekend, and UFC commentator Jon Anik described him as a "mental giant." Anik hosts a weekly show called the Anik & Florian Podcast alongside former UFC fighter Kenny Florian.

On the most recent episode of their podcast, Jon Anik shared a comment that 'The Last Stylebender' made to him following his win over Pereira. Anik said that Israel Adesanya claimed he could increase his level of testosterone using his brain:

Watch the video below from 1:19:10:

Israel Adesanya's win over Alex Pereira will be remembered as the moment that a true champion defined his legacy. 'The Last Stylebender' exemplified the fighting spirit and believed in himself until the very end.

Adesanya's comments to Anik following the show may perk up the ears of some fans, as 'The Last Stylebender' went through a performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) controversy several years ago.

The middleweight champion suffered a bout of gynecomastia, which is caused by a hormonal imbalance. It is often associated with taking PEDs and can occur when an athlete botches their cycle-off period.

Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira have fought twice in kickboxing and twice in MMA. The Brazilian currently holds a 3-1 advantage over Adesanya, but following UFC 287, it seems that 'The Last Stylebender' may have had the last laugh.

At the post-event press conference, Adesanya stated that he wants to face new competition instead of recycling past opponents.

The middleweight champion's coach, Eugene Bareman, appeared on Submission Radio following the pay-per-view. Bareman was asked whether he thought Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira would meet again. He replied:

Watch the video below from 14:20:

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Singing loudly, a cardinal sits atop a bare tree across the street from our house. His voice it's a male in courtship mode is almost strident, not exactly romantic sounding, but, I assume, effective.

From the backyard comes the soft tapping of a downy woodpecker. It's his "song," his call for a mate.

Both birds are fueled by a boost of testosterone. One day in the very recent past the amount of daylight reached a very specific critical peak governing springtime production of that hormone for these birds.

Ten hours seems to be the minimum day length needed to stimulate the breeding changes, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The eye retina is presumed to send neural impulses to the brain that eventually stimulate the hypothalamus, an area of the brain producing hormones that control body temperature, heart rate, hunger, mood, and, not least, hormones from the pituitary to put the sex drive into spring mode.

Under the influence of those hormones, the testes begin their cyclical change, for production of sperm and production and release of testosterone, according to the Cornell Handbook of Bird Biology.

"In many birds, especially migratory species, the gonads vary tremendously in size and secretory activity on an annual cycle," the book states. "During the breeding season, for example, the testes of small passerines [songbirds] may grow to several hundred times their nonbreeding volume and weight.

The gonadal hormones testosterone and the estrogens also cause change to brighter, more colorful plumage; change in the color of the bill; an increase in song; aggressive behavior toward other birds, particularly of the same sex and species; the establishment of territory; pair formation; copulation; nest building; and, in most species, development of a brood patch.

Preparation for spring is then complete.

Later in the spring cycle, the birds begin another series of changes, eventually leading to nonbreeding status.

The pituitary releases a hormone that inhibits further secretion of the other gonadal hormones, Cornell explains. This retards the activity of the ovary and the testes. Reduction of these hormones reduces the behaviors initiated by them.

"By the time eggs appear, a secretion from the adrenal gland has stimulated incubation behavior," the handbook explains.

For birds such as pigeons and doves, the production of "pigeons milk" in the crop is activated. (Pigeon or crop milk is a secretion from the lining of the crop of parent birds that is regurgitated to young birds.)

Every bird species is physiologically adapted to a specific temperature range, Cornell explains. Significant change could affect the beginning of the breeding season.

There are other triggers. Rainfall, for example, can stimulate breeding in arid regions. For other species, availability of food is a nesting determinant.

A vole reproduction cycle at its peak will support large snowy owl broods. The owls might not breed at all when the vole population is low.

"An important breeding cycle stimulus for some species is the presence or absence of others of their species," the handbook explains.

A captive female rock dove, for instance, will lay eggs readily in the presence of a male, and less readily when only another female is present, Cornell explains.

Curiously, if isolated from others of her kind, the rock dove will not lay at all unless she has a mirror in her cage.

Lifelong birder Jim Williams can be reached at woodduck38@gmail.com.

Brood patch formation

The embryo, developing in the egg, requires constant heat. Because feathers are poor conductors of heat, most incubating birds develop one or more incubation or brood patches on the breast that are without feathers.

Heavily suffused with blood vessels, these patches permit direct contact between the warm skin and the eggs.

Hormones control development of the incubation patch.

Before the female lays her first egg, her patch begins to develop as follows: The bird loses feathers, the outer layers of the skin thicken, blood vessels in the region increase in number and some enlarge, and the spaces between the cells under the skin fill with tissue fluid, remaining full during the incubation period.

Most male birds that incubate also develop an incubation patch.

Information from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Handbook of Bird Biology.

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On March 25, World Athletics, the governing body that regulates track and field, cross country running, road running, race walking, mountain running, and ultra running competitions at the international level, voted to completely ban transgender women athletes who have gone through male puberty from competing at international events.

The decision follows a wave of fair competition policies that were put into place after Lia Thomas, a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania, became the first-known transgender woman to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) swimming championship. World Athletics joins World Aquatics and World Rugby as one of the several international organizations to ban transgender women athletes based on whether or not they have gone through male puberty, instead of blood testosterone levels.

The World Athletics decision reverses the previous policy that required transgender women to keep the amount of testosterone in their blood under the maximum of five nanomoles per litre, and stay under this threshold continuously for 12 months prior to competing in the female category. World Athletics claims that its preferred option was to continue to allow transgender women to compete in the female category while implementing more aggressive regulations for testosterone levels. But the proposition allegedly garnered little support from stakeholders, such as member federations, athletes, coaches, and the International Olympics Committee (IOC), as well as transgender and human rights groups.

World Athletics also elected to alter their policy for athletes with differences in sex development (DSD), a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones, and reproductive organs resulting in different sex development trajectories, halving the maximum level of blood testosterone from five to 2.5 nanomoles per litre for womens competition. Those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), in whom excess testosterone is common and typically exceeds this new cutoff, may also be barred from competition.

Many organizations that have elected to ban transgender athletes cite a study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) that concludes there is an association between the use of gender-affirming hormones and changes in athletic performance. The BJSM study suggests that more than 12 months of gender-affirming hormone usage is needed to ensure that transgender women do not have an unfair competitive advantage when participating in elite-level athletic competition.

However, some experts are critical of the studys conclusions due to sample size, narrow research questions, and misleading language.

It feels like our sort of Cirque du Soleil contortionist style stretch to say that thats enough evidence to sort of make that blanket statement, Dr. Lindsay Duncan, an associate professor in McGills Kinesiology and Physical Education Department, told The Tribune. They present the best evidence available [] to address a pretty specific research question with sport performance defined in a pretty specific, narrowly conceived way [.] Sport performance involves so many other factors [.] Theres a lot more going into it than that one pretty specific study could address.

Dr. Charlotte Usselman, an assistant professor in McGills Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, is also concerned with the content of the research paper.

Given that some people were only assessed once after starting hormone therapy (and most were only assessed twice), we have no idea how many people are included in the 2+ year time point, Usselman wrote in an email to The Tribune.

[T]he authors interpret their findings to directly suggest that governing bodies for sporting competition should require more than [one] year of testosterone suppression prior to competition, Usselman continued. [T]hey did not present enough evidence to support this conclusion.

The BJSM study, along with the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS)s 2021 Consensus Statementa study that concludes serum testosterone concentrations are an objective biomarker to regulate the inclusion of transgender athletesacknowledge the limitations of their respective research. Many of these limitations stem from the lack of sports performance data from athletes before, during, or after testosterone suppression, in addition to small sample sizes.

World Athletics claims the ban prioritizes fairness over inclusion, citing a potential competitive advantage for transgender women athletes competing in womens categories. These concerns of a competitive disadvantage for cisgender women athletes arise from the BJSM and FIMS studies that conclude transgender women retain physical advantages such as larger wingspan, increased lung capacity, and greater muscle mass, despite reducing their testosterone levels and taking gender affirming hormones. However, with no transgender athletes currently competing at the international level, many question the true prerogatives of the ban.

Bans on trans athletes are not primarily concerned with actual trans athletes, they are about stoking fear of trans women and presenting us as invading womens spaces, a member of the Trans Patient Union (TPU) wrote to The Tribune.

When trans people and transfeminine people in particular are banned from participating or stigmatized for participating in sports, the harm done is also about making it harder for us to participate in everyday life, wrote TPUs external affairs co-coordinator, who wished to stay anonymous. Like bathroom bills, athletic bans dont present trans people with a feasible new way to participate, its about pushing us out of everyday life altogether.

The restrictive nature of binary gender categories also excludes both transgender people who do not medically transition and those who dont fall into the category of male or female.

If legitimate concerns about fair play do come up, rather than dealing with such concerns by banning a transfeminine and intersex athlete for participating, we should mitigate relevant unfair physical advantages in ways analogous to the weight and age classes already used to ensure fair play, TPUs external affairs co-coordinator wrote. We should regulate relevant physical advantages, not gender identity.

Beyond the intricate nature of gender, the concept of fairness is complicated by the fact that the very structures of sport are fraught with inequities.

Most of our sports structures are not fair for trans and non binary people, forcing people into gender categories, forcing them into gendered spaces, Duncan said. Based on our data, if a trans athlete gets to the highest level of sport, from a character perspective, theyre a superhuman, because theyve been through a tremendous amount of unfairness before they can even get there.

Some argue that World Athletics should revert to its former testosterone policy approach, but even the use of testosterone levels as an indicator of competitive advantage is severely understudied.

In some sports, testosterone levels might be a reasonable predictor of performance and could signal a competitive advantage [but] in other sports thats not nearly enough, Duncan explained. I dont think that overall testosterone levels is an effective way to measure a competitive advantage. In most sports, we dont have any data that we could use to actually check that hypothesis.

Will Huckins, a masters student in McGills Department of Kinesiology, notes that dependence on testosterone runs contradictory to World Athletics own research.

[The World Athletics] head of health and science conducted research at the 2011 and 2013 World Championships which found that testosterone was only linked with improved performance in five of the 21 events they investigated (400-metre, 400-metre hurdles, 800-metre, hammer throw, and pole vault).

USPORTS, the governing body of most McGill varsity sports, currently has no restrictions for transgender athletes in competition. As for McGill Intramural sports, the open, mixed, and womens categories are inclusive of two-spirit, transgender, and gender-nonconforming peoples, and the policy encourages athletes to participate in the category that best aligns with their gender identity. However, as head coach of the artistic swimming team at McGill, Duncan believes that more needs to be done to ensure that athletic spaces are truly accepting of transgender athletes.

If were going to welcome trans athletes onto teams, I think we need to make sure that were prepared to offer a psychologically safe space, Duncan said. Change really comes from having discussions with other coaches, with other athletes, challenging the assumptions that we have and just raising questions.

Originally posted here:
Behind the bans on transgender women in sports - The Tribune - McGill Tribune

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There are a few different reasons why a male may have low testosterone levels. Testosterone levels can decline with age, dropping about 1% per year after age 30. Some conditions can contribute to low testosterone too, according to Dr. Eisenberg, including an injury to the testicles or loss of a testicle, diabetes or obesity.

Some medications, specifically opioids, can also lower testosterone levels, he says, adding also, abusing steroids can cause the body to stop producing adequate levels of testosterone. And sometimes, males bodies simply do not produce enough testosterone.

There are some tell-tale signs that ones testosterone levels may be low. Someone with low testosterone may experience a decrease in energy, low sex drive and may experience erectile dysfunction, says Dr. Honig. However, he adds, the only way to know for sure if your testosterone levels are low is to see your doctor for a blood test.

Testosterone is highest in the morning, so typically the blood test is done early morning, explains Dr. Honig. If the blood test indicates low testosterone, the next step is working with your doctor to find out why. We want to figure out if its because the testicles arent producing as much as they used to or if its related to the brain, he says, adding that low testosterone could be a result of low levels of luteinizing hormone, which is produced by the pituitary gland in the brain. Further blood tests, an MRI and CAT scan can all be secondary steps to pinpointing why testosterone is low, he says.

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EDITORS NOTE: John Smith is a pseudonym given to an Emporia resident who spoke to The Gazette on the condition of anonymity.

John Smith knew he was a man most of his life.

He just didnt know how to put it into words. When Smith was around 17, he realized that he could apply the word transgender to how he felt, opening a new path to affirming his identity.

I played around with identities for a long time, Smith told The Gazette. Once I started figuring out that I was transgender, I wasnt really quite sure where I fell in the gender spectrum. I played around with nonbinary, gender fluid, but eventually I just kinda came to the realization that I was, in fact, a trans man.

Smith moved from his hometown to Emporia for college, taking a job at a local business and graduating from Emporia State University with his Masters degree last year. Around the same time, Smith slowly began to socially transition, sharing his identity with more and more of his friends and family, before feeling confident enough to come out publicly on Facebook.

At 25 years old, Smith is able to take the reins of his own journey to affirm his gender identity using hormone therapy. Smith is celebrating around four years on testosterone, a change he said started a journey towards feeling better about himself.

I would honestly count it as one of the top ten days of my life, he said. It was so important to me to start being able to get these more physical changes like my voice deepening and everything. Starting to get a more masculine appearance was just so deeply important to me because I felt like I wasnt gonna be able to be myself until I had these changes that were happening, that testosterone was able to give me.

For children under 18 in Kansas, that story could look very different.

Senate Bill 26, also known as the Kansas Child Mutilation Prevention Act would would allow an individual who had gender reassignment service performed as a child to bring a civil cause of action under the Act against the physician who performed such service, according to the language of the bill. It would also require the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts to revoke the medical license of a physician who provides gender-affirming care to minors.

Under the bill, care varying from surgeries to puberty blockers and hormone treatments would essentially be barred from transgender youth.

According to the American Academy Pediatrics, puberty blockers have been in use since the 1980s and are completely reversible if a child changes their mind.

These reversible treatments can also be used in adolescents who experience gender dysphoria to prevent development of secondary sex characteristics and provide time up until 16 years of age for the individual and the family to explore gender identity, access psychosocial supports, develop coping skills, and further define appropriate treatment goals, they said. If pubertal suppression treatment is suspended, then endogenous puberty will resume.

By utilizing pubertal suppression at a younger age, the AAP stated, trans youth may be able to avoid surgery later on and can help combat mental health issues.

[P]hysical changes that are otherwise irreversible (protrusion of the Adams apple, male pattern baldness, voice change, breast growth, etc) are prevented, they said. The available data reveal that pubertal suppression in children who identify as [transgender] generally leads to improved psychological functioning in adolescence and young adulthood.

Hormone therapy, including testosterone and estrogen therapies, can begin in early childhood and are partially reversible until development. The only fully non-reversible form of care, gender-affirming surgeries, rarely occur in youth.

Although current protocols typically reserve surgical interventions for adults, they are occasionally pursued during adolescence on a case-by-case basis, considering the necessity and benefit to the adolescents overall health and often including multidisciplinary input from medical, mental health, and surgical providers as well as from the adolescent and family, the AAP stated.

The Kansas legislature passed the Kansas Child Mutilation Prevention Act 23-12 in the Senate and 70-52 in the House on Thursday, April 6 without a hearing for public testimony, adding the gender-affirming care language to an unrelated bill. Gov. Laura Kelly is expected to veto the legislation and supporters would need the votes of 27 senators and 84 representatives to override it. At the time of publishing, the bill is set to commence on July 1.

Supporters of Senate Bill 233, the bill the Kansas Child Mutilation Prevention Acts language was derived from, stated during the bill hearing that children are too young to make a decision that could impact them for the rest of their lives.

We already have laws in Kansas based on the science that we know that childrens minds are developed enough to make decisions, John McDermott, pastor of Morning Star Church in Lawrence, said at the Feb. 14 hearing. We have drinking age at 21, you cant buy tobacco products at 18 or 21 it really is an exploitation of the vulnerabilities of children.

Two proponents of the bill also shared personal experiences with gender-affirming care and stated that they feel lingering negative effects after receiving surgeries in their youth and later changing their minds.

Opponents of the bill argued that medical decisions should be left to parents and their children and that the bill would cause unnecessary harm to Kansas youth.

D.C. Hiegert, a Skadden Fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, said that the bill and ones similar to it, whether or not they pass, has a negative impact on trans youths mental health.

This makes sense imagine being a young trans kid in Kansas, having to read about and listen to your elected representatives argue that you should not be able to play sports, that you should not be able to access the healthcare you need to live, that you should not be able to exist at school or in public as yourself. The message this sends to young trans Kansans is that they are not welcome here, they said. Bills like SB 26, that would effectively ban all gender-affirming healthcare for any trans person under 18 in Kansas, would have catastrophic effects for young trans Kansans and their families. Gender-affirming healthcare is medically necessary, safe, effective, evidence-based care, and is the only medical care shown to improve trans youths mental health outcomes. It is live-saving healthcare, which is why countless major medical associations (like the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) oppose bills like SB 26 and instead support access to gender-affirming care.

The process to gain access to gender-affirming care for Kansas youth can be extensive. For Smith, gender-affirming care only came after multiple visits to licensed professionals.

I had to see a therapist to determine that I was in a good state of mind to be able to consent to this kind of procedure and then once I got that letter from my therapist, it was sent on to an endocrinologist and my insurance had to say Yup, hes good, hes ready to go, Smith said. ... once I got that letter, I set up an appointment with an endocrinologist who did some blood work and then determined what dosage I should be at and how I should be getting my doses of T [testosterone] and everything and then from there I was put on T and then had blood work to check to make sure that everything was going okay from there on out.

Like many trans youth, living in a body that didnt match how he felt inside even while in the process of starting gender-affirming care led to gender dysphoria.

I had been dealing with gender dysphoria for a lot longer than I had ever realized. There was just sort of this disconnect between what people were viewing me as and how I was feeling about everything, Smith said. ... Nothing about the first puberty that I had was fun at all for me. There were so many changes happening to me that I did not like or want at all and then it just kept getting worse and worse until it finally clicked to me.

The gender-affirming care ban is just one of 13 anti-trans bills proposed this year alone in Kansas, and one of five that has passed in the legislature. Hiegert said anti-LGBTQ legislation is on the rise in Kansas and across the nation compared to previous legislative sessions.

For instance, there were just above 40 anti-LGBTQ+ bills filed across the country in 2018. As of April 2023, the ACLU is tracking more than 450 anti-LGBTQ+ bills filed this legislative session, they said. ... Kansans have made it clear that they want a state that is safe and welcoming for all, but legislators in our statehouse have decided they would rather score political points off the backs of an already vulnerable minority population of Kansans than address the issues that truly matter to folks in our state like expanding access to healthcare, fully funding public education, or addressing the economic struggles facing Kansas families experiencing rising inflation and soaring housing costs.

As for trans individuals in the state, Smith said concerns for safety and acceptance run deeper than they did even a few years ago.

I wouldnt feel safe coming out today, Smith said. I did five years ago, and I wouldnt now, and I dont know what that says but I think it says something.

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The right to exist: Emporia man shares experience with gender ... - Emporia Gazette

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