Similarly gifted and trained males have physical advantages over females—from greater height and weight and larger, longer, and stronger bones to larger muscles and higher rates of metabolizing and releasing energy. These innate physiological traits result in greater muscle strength; stronger throwing, hitting, and kicking; higher jumping; and faster running speeds for males, all of which create an athletic edge over female athletes.
Studies show that the physical differences between the two genders consistently give males a biological advantage over similarly gifted females.
~Despite greater body weight, males have a roughly 15-20% jumping advantage over women. When examining the vertical jump needed in volleyball, one study found that on average male players jumped 50% higher during an “attack” at the net than female players.
~In one year, 275 high school boys ran faster times than the lifetime best of World Champion sprinter Allyson Felix.
These advantages exist even before puberty. In a European study, the boys outperformed girls at every age in measures of handgrip strength, long standing jump, 200-meter shuttle run, and predicted VO2 max. VO2 max refers to maximal oxygen consumption, which accounts for 30-40% of success in endurance sports.
Testosterone suppression does not undo these advantages. A 2019 Swedish study showed that males generally maintained or even increased in strength after a year of testosterone suppression.
Multiple studies around the world demonstrate the physical advantages males enjoy in athletic competition. These studies challenge the misconceptions that male physical advantages only exist after puberty and can be eliminated by testosterone suppression.
