Testosterone gives men a physical advantage in competitive sports, helping them perform better than competitors.
See the scientific wording
Testosterone provides a physiological advantage to men in competitive sports; no dosage, duration, effect size, or absolute/relative risk is reported, and it is unclear whether the claim refers to endogenous testosterone levels or exogenous testosterone administration.
Backed by science
2 low-scoring studies support this claim, so treat these as early signals rather than settled science.
What the research says
2 studies reviewedSupporting (2)
Systematic ReviewReview2021
When transgender women take hormones that lower testosterone, their blood oxygen capacity drops quickly and their strength and muscle shrink, but they still stay stronger than typical women for years. This supports the idea that testosterone gives men physical advantages in sports.
Systematic ReviewReview2024
The study shows that anabolic steroids (which include testosterone) make people stronger and more muscular, so they do give a physical advantage. But the study also says this doesn't necessarily make them perform better in actual sports.
Contradicting (0)
No contradicting studies found yet
That doesn't mean it's settled — it just means no study has tested the opposite.
Quality-weighted scoring: we follow the GRADE framework — each study is rated High, Moderate, Low, or Very Low based on study design, methodology rigor, and risk of bias. A single high-quality RCT can outweigh several weaker observational studies.
Scores reflect study quality, not just count.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 2 supporting studies
How Fit Body Science checks a claim
- 1
We isolate the claim
Health advice from videos, articles and studies is broken down into single, testable claims.
- 2
We find the research
Each claim is matched against peer-reviewed studies, with every source cited by DOI.
- 3
We grade the evidence
Studies are scored on methodology, statistical rigor, transparency and publication quality.
The fitness and health internet is full of confident claims. We check them against real research.
Every claim on this site is traced back to peer-reviewed studies, scored on methodology and reporting quality, and given a verdict you can audit yourself — sources, DOIs and all.
- Full evidence breakdown and mechanism chains
- Ask our AI anything about a claim or its studies
- Get notified when new research changes a verdict