There’s a really good technical explanation at http://www.sportsscientists.com/
Not necessarily:
Metabolic clues regarding the enhanced performance of elite endurance athletes from orchiectomy-induced hormonal changes
Medical Hypotheses, Volume 68, Issue 4, Pages 735-749
C. Atwood, R. Bowen
Abstract
This article examines the metabolic performance of an elite cyclist, Lance Armstrong, before and after his diagnosis with testicular cancer. Although a champion cyclist in 1-day events prior to his diagnosis of testicular cancer at age 25, he was not a contender in multi-day endurance cycle races such as the 3-week Tour de France. His genetic makeup and physiology (high V˙O2max, long femur, strong heavy build) coupled with his ambition and motivation enabled him at an early age to become one of the best 1-day cyclists in the world. Following his cancer diagnosis, he underwent a unilateral orchiectomy, brain surgery and four cycles of chemotherapy. After recovering, he returned to cycling and surprisingly excelled in the Tour de France, winning this hardest of endurance events 7years running. This dramatic transformation from a 1-day to a 3-week endurance champion has led many to query how this is possible, and under the current climate, has led to suggestions of doping as to the answer to this metamorphosis. Physiological tests following his recovery indicated that physiological parameters such as V˙O2max were not affected by the unilateral orchiectomy and chemotherapy. We propose that his dramatic improvement in recovery between stages, the most important factor in winning multi-day stage races, is due to his unilateral orchiectomy, a procedure that results in permanent changes in serum hormones. These hormonal changes, specifically an increase in gonadotropins (and prolactin) required to maintain serum testosterone levels, alter fuel metabolism; increasing hormone sensitive lipase expression and activity, promoting increased free fatty acid (FFA) mobilization to, and utilization by, muscles, thereby decreasing the requirement to expend limiting glycogen stores before, during and after exercise. Such hormonal changes also have been associated with ketone body production, improvements in muscle repair and haematocrit levels and may facilitate the loss of body weight, thereby increasing power to weight ratio. Taken together, these hormonal changes act to limit glycogen utilization, delay fatigue and enhance recovery thereby allowing for optimal performances on a day-to-day basis. These insights provide the foundation for future studies on the endocrinology of exercise metabolism, and suggest that Lance Armstrong’s athletic advantage was not due to drug use.
The “study” is not even a study and basically worthless. So many things factually wrong, not even worth getting into in detail.
‘World war’ threat over Semenya gender claims
Reuters
Last updated 08:51 12/09/2009
South Africa has reacted angrily to a report that tests on its world champion runner Caster Semenya had found she was a hermaphrodite, threatening a “third world war” over the affair.
Athletics’ governing body declined to confirm the report in Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, which said the 18-year-old runner had both male and female sexual characteristics.
The IAAF said medical experts were examining the results of gender tests on Semenya, who won the women’s 800 meters at last month’s World Championships in Berlin. No decision would be taken until late November.
“I think it would be the third world war. We will go to the highest levels in contesting such a decision. I think it would be totally unfair and totally unjust,” said Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile.
South African President Jacob Zuma decried the invasion of Semenya’s privacy and what he called the violation of her rights, although neither he nor Stofile denied the report.
“I don’t know why we should not respect the privilege between the doctor and the patient. Why, when the tests have been done, why was it published?” Zuma said.
The Telegraph report said tests had found Semenya had no womb or ovaries, but that she had internal testes, the male sexual organs which produce testosterone, and her levels of the hormone were three times that of a ‘normal’ female.
It said the IAAF was “ready to disqualify Semenya from future events and advise her to have immediate surgery because her condition carries grave health risks. They have also not ruled out stripping Semenya of her 800m world championships gold medal.”
‘SHOCK AND DISGUST’
Semenya, who was due to compete in a cross country race in Pretoria on Saturday, in her first competition since claiming the world title, withdrew from the event. Semenya’s coach Michael Seme said that she was not “feeling well.”
Stofile told a news conference his ministry had “noted with shock and disgust” media reports on the test results, which the South African government had not yet received.
“The issue here is that this girl has undesirable levels of testosterone - what does it matter? That is neither here not there. She does not have a womb - so what?,” he said.
Nick Davies, spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), said media reports on the gender test results should not be considered as official statements by the sports body.
“There is a (IAAF) Council on 21 November and this will be the opportunity to conclusively finalize a decision,” he said.
Some South Africans have accused the IAAF of racism for ordering the gender tests on Semenya, saying her broad shoulders and imposing musculature are common in women’s athletics.
The controversy may have touched a raw nerve in a country where race is still a highly sensitive issue after decades of apartheid, which ended in 1994.
The militant Youth League of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) said in a statement: “Even if a test is done, the ANC YL will never accept the categorization of Caster Semenya as a hermaphrodite, because in South Africa and the entire world of sanity, such does not exist.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/2857963/World-war-threat-over-Semenya-gender-claims
Mike Hurst is a credible journo and I hope his sources are 100% correct as I would hate to see this to backfire on him.
Semenya likely to keep medal but her race is run
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Dan Silkstone
September 12, 2009
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WORLD champion 800 metres runner Caster Semenya is likely to emerge from her controversial past month with a gold medal but no prizemoney and no future in the sport.
A day after the results of stringent and wide-ranging tests confirmed that Semenya has both male and female reproductive organs, the IAAF was yesterday scrambling to decide what will happen to the 18-year-old South African, who has received a hero’s welcome after returning to her homeland.
While a final decision is believed to be at least a fortnight away, The Age understands that Semenya will almost certainly keep her gold medal as the IAAF follows a 45-year-old precedent. The Polish women’s 4 x 400 relay team won Olympic Gold in 1964 but one member was later revealed to be a man. That team was allowed to keep its medals and Semenya is set to follow suit.
The runner is unlikely to ever receive the $US60,000 ($A69,700) prizemoney for her commanding win in Berlin, however. Sources told The Age yesterday that it is more likely that money will be donated to a relevant charity, such as research into transgender issues or a maternity hospital in rural South Africa. International athletics officials are believed to be privately furious with their South African counterparts that Semenya was allowed to compete in Berlin, despite the very public questions hanging over her future and her identity.
Officials strongly urged the South African team to withdraw their emerging star before the 800 final in Berlin but the South Africans pressed ahead, Semenya won easily and an international furore erupted. South African President Jacob Zuma and the African National Congress later attacked the IAAF for victimising Semenya and vowed to support her. South African athletics bosses have continued to back their athlete in recent days, even requesting that the IAAF give Semenya a wildcard to compete in the world athletics final that begins tomorrow in Thessaloniki, Greece - the second biggest meeting in the sport this year.
That request was rejected outright and Semenya’s career is effectively over. Unable to compete as a woman, the teenager could technically take part in the sport as a man. But Semenya’s performance in Berlin - dominant as it was - came with a time that is around 10 seconds slower than the top men in her event.
There is immense sympathy for Semenya’s position within the governing body and a likelihood that she will be urged to consider surgical treatment for her condition, as IAAF medical experts believe there are multiple health risks associated with it. There is no suggestion that the South African deliberately obscured her complex gender identity, nor that she had any knowledge of it.
So rapid was Semenya’s emergence to the top level, the IAAF only became aware of her questionable appearance in the immediate lead-up to the world championships. Tests were organised and results obtained just before she competed in the final at Berlin were conflicting and contradictory.
Semenya herself did not even know the tests related to her gender, believing they were standard drug tests. The South African coach who misled her about that process has since resigned.
The more stringent tests ordered after her win in Berlin showed what the IAAF had suspected - Semenya had external female genitalia but internal testes instead of ovaries. Her testosterone levels were equivalent to those of a male competitor, granting her a massive advantage over her fellow competitors.
The SA federations attitude reminds me of that scene from the life of Brian where Stan wants to have babies.
Are the comments regarding the racism to do with the prevalence of intersexuality in South Africa? Because I’m not sure if they noticed but most of the medals in track events were won by people with black skin and on the womens side people with relatively muscular physiques - however with out any facial hair …
It’s all a bit mad …
An associated report in the paper which broke the Semenya “intersex” news reveals that a poll on whether she should be allowed to keep her medal attracted 6000 voters yesterday, about 53% in favour of her keeping the gold.
It is interesting that not even the South Africans are denying the report, with one politican (Zuma?) saying “she has no womb, so what” - so what? well I’d say that moves her pretty solidly into the category of “Male” and therefore she should never have been entered for a women’s race.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/athletics/article6830798.ece
From The Times
September 12, 2009
South African minister threatens ‘world war’ if Caster Semenya is banned
Rick Broadbent and Fred Bridgland in Pretoria
50 Comments
(John Giles/PA)
Caster Semenya: now in hiding
The South African Sports Minister threatened a “third world war” if Caster Semenya, the athlete whose gender has been called into question, were banned from competing.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday Makhenkesi Stofile responded angrily to reports in which a source close to the inquiry into the athlete claimed that tests had suggested she was a hermaphrodite. Asked how South Africa would react were the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to say that Semenya could no longer compete against women, he said: “I think it will be the third world war.
“We will go to the highest levels in contesting such a decision. It would be totally unfair and totally unjust. It is very, very clear to us that Caster’s human rights are not being respected. Neither Caster nor her family deserve this kind of humiliation. None of them has done anything wrong. This is as disgusting as it is unethical.”
Saying that the South African Government had not seen the test results, he added: “What does it matter? The issue is not whether she’s a hermaphrodite. She’s a girl.
“Caster remains our heroine, and we strongly believe that our Government and all well-meaning citizens should protect Ms Semenya, her rights and her interests.”
Mr Stofile accused the IAAF of leaking results of tests on Semenya while pleading ignorance of where the reports originated.
The IAAF has confirmed that it has received Semenya’s test results, but they will be studied by an independent panel before action is taken. It said the matter would go before its executive council on November 20.
However, Leonard Chuene, president of Athletics South Africa, claimed that the IAAF had told him that the tests were inconclusive.
The story that a gender verification process was under way first appeared in the Australian Daily Telegraph. Mike Hurst, the journalist who broke the story, last night told South Africa’s Radio 702: “My sources are 100 per cent reliable. They \ haven’t denied my story. That’s crucial.”
Semenya won the 800 metres final at the World Championships in Berlin last month. The IAAF has indicated that she is unlikely to be asked to return her gold medal.
Last night the athlete dropped out of an event at today’s national cross-country championships in Pretoria.
audio link to interview with the journo who broke the Semenya intersex story. click on “audio”
Let’s all watch the attacks and stereotypes here please.
The question here- and the only question is: Should she be, or have been allowed to compete?
I don’t understand why the old chromosome test was removed. What was intended to replace it? Is this nightmare not the natural outcome of political correctness gone amok leaving only public warfare?
There was considerable discussion over last year’s winner that was never addressed. Did that have any bearing on this year’s case?What will be the trend going forward? Will federations go out on scavenger hunts looking for physical types that can win in a few months of training over girls who’ve trained a lifetime? What happens when this extends beyond the 800m alone?
Damn so she cant run because of something she was born with. Its not her fault. She cant run with the men so I guess her career is over.
I can see the legal argument stating that she isn’t male, so therefore she can only be the other, a woman.
Vibes I got from the news tonight was why pick on this kid other sports don’t pick on theirs.
There are two issues here why…
- Domination
- Future results/records
If she is allowed to continue competing, (after having improved her PB by 16 sec. in a year and winning the title convincingly), will her “condition” allow her to continue improving at much greater rate than other woman, and how IAAF will handle/cop with/justify/act/explain to public (after having learned all about this case) that they are behind someone who may be breaking WRs easier than Bolt but with an advantage while at the same time vigorously defending their standpoint on performance enhancing accessories!
What if all other competitors say: we all will run once we have balls too! And refuse to compete if CS is in the race with them?
Remove them, undergo HR therapy and continue running, I say.
For the record, kk1, and CF, my previous remark was not targeting any particular ethnic group, rather I used it to point out that it is easier to scream - it is because you are antisemitic, racist, sexist, alcoholic, homophobic or a sprinter - (as the Sport Minister did when blamed IAAF for racism and sexism) than rationally discuss the matter, find a solution, and in an orderly and civilised fashion deal with the matter.
The Minister threatened with a war! I know he was no different to Damir Dokic who made stupid threats towards an Aussie diplomat and that his “war” was rhetorical stunt but being a minister you should act like one, especially when dealing with sensitive issues. Humans need to evolve further, or better, we need to grow up.
This story depends on whose ox gets gored. What if this scenario affected the 400m rather than the 800m, where primarily other Africans were were disadvantaged? Would we hear a different level of outcry?
No no. There are certainly not only two genders. Many people, particularly from Southern Africa are born intergender.
Because of my involvement with Athletics South Africa and the sensitivity of the situation and the farce in RSA about this I will not say much except that we warned the federation 3 years ago about Semenya’s gender. They chose to ignore.
And I would say that’s where the majority culpability rests - with Athletics SA. They tried to con the world and they have been exposed, but to date the victim is Semenya.
Do you think Caster knew she was “more than a woman”? Surely she must always have known she had superior strength, speed and endurance just from her experiences in the school playground.
Not necessarily, here she is a year ago when her PB was 2.08
I have to say that her training would have changed dramatically from the WJC to now as she was taken into the national high performance centre shortly after the WJC. Her training would have become much more professional in terms of S&C, nutrition etc. The support she gets there is excellent and the S&C is with RSA’s best strenth coach. What the training for the 800m is concerned I can’t think that that changed much as she has had the same coach for a while.
In the video there is a clear difference in her physical attributes to what she looks like today. She looked like she did in the video since the first time I saw her at the age of 15.
I really feel for her as she is a nice girl. Yet, if most of us had a girl that could produce so much testosterone and no estrogen we’d also be able to develope such strength and speed.
Hello,
First time poster. I have enjoyed reading these threads for awhile now!
Regarding the Caster Semanya situation then it is a very delicate matter. On the one hand we have a person who identifies with their female side and who was raised as a girl. Conversely, we have a sport whereby the rules dictate the parameters of what is female and what is not.
I think it is unfortunate that Caster Semanya will get ‘hurt’ by all of this. I feel she has been somewhat let down by her own South African authorities and to an extent the IAAF who aired her dirty laundry in public before they should have.
However, Caster Semanya has an innate, genetic advantage over her fellow athletes in as much as she has 3 times the testosterone levels in her body. Further, she was born a haemaphrodite which further consolidates the idea that her gender has the advantages that a masculine disposition brings.
I do feel it is unfair for her to compete and I felt sorry for the other women in the 800m race. I also think it is unfair to say anyone questioning it is racist - that is an appalling way to try and suffocate people with ‘truths’ to tell. We have seen similar cases throughout history where white and Asian athletes have been banned for their questionable gender status.
Anyway, just some thoughts!