freediver wrote on Apr 8
th, 2018 at 8:46am:
They should do a DNA test.
The IOC states that for transgender women to compete, they are first required to demonstrate that there testosterone levels have been below 10 nanomoles per litre of blood for 12 months. This may sound confusing, but to put it in perspective males will average between 23-28 nanomoles per litre and women 3-6.
Although this can vary from person to person, medications are designed specifically to suppress or reduce testosterone — and the athletes competing are tested to make sure they are less than 10 nanomoles.
STRENGTH DROP
The effects of such low levels of testosterone is massive, and noticeable to the person going through the process within a week. No one else will see such early changes, but some changes are that quick.
The drop off in strength, which is what everyone is talking about, is enormous. I know that for myself, I went from lifting over 200kg to not even half of that in about a year; which is the time you must wait to be able to be compete with other women. This is on top of the effects it has on your endurance, speed, agility and any other physical characteristic you can think of.
So while yes, Laurel may well be lifting weights many men and women could only dream of, so are other elite athletes at these games.
Prior to her transition she was a New Zealand Junior National Champion, and has competed at elite levels of the sport for her entire life. Just like some people are good at art, some at music; she is good at weightlifting — and transitioning is not going to change that.
But what is clear is before she transitioned she was lifting much heavier weights. Something that would be entirely unattainable now.
LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING
Perception is also a massive issue with trans women, and size is something that doesn’t go away as quickly as your physical abilities (in Laurel’s case, her strength). Essentially it’s year nine PE stuff, your body does what it can to preserve muscle when it realises it’s losing it, so it’s a slow process. But the effect the lack of testosterone has on your central nervous system is much more rapid and much more pronounced.
So often, trans women will look a lot stronger than they actually are.http://www.news.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/sports-life/the-myth-around-tran...