this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2026
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i mean... this is one of those takes i dont understand. it kind of denies basic biological facts. testosterone makes bodies more physically performant in a lot of ways. all else being equal, given the same level of training effort and support, a testosterone dominant body will outperform an estrogen dominant body in sports where physical strength is a major component. you dont even need to do a big population study to show this, just look at any trans woman. our athletic performance gets worse when we transition because our bodies become estrogen dominant, resulting in reduced muscle mass and several other things. conversely people with higher testosterone perform better, which is why its a banned performance enhancing substance in most sports. theres only so much physical advantage you can overcome with skill alone and theres nothing stopping someone with a physical advantage from developing the same level of skill.
im guessing theres something about your position im not understanding though. when i get into these arguments with people theyre usually using a totally different definition for one or more words so it ends up being more a semantic argument.
Sports and culture have been dominated by men who have not only curated sports most suited to their mechanical advantages, but have also created a culture where men are more supported when it comes to getting into those activities. So, men have the advantage of sports that are more suited to their bodies and also a broader pool of participants compared to women.
This is why I included: "Given equal opportunity to shape and influence sports culture..." Meaning that women have capabilities which aren't favored in most current physical performance events because we have little to no say in the creation and rules of sporting events.
Women have some physical advantages over men, but hardly any give us an advantage in male dominated events that favor strength and speed. On average, woman have better vision with more colour definition, our hearts are closer to our brains so we can withstand higher G forces, and our lower center of gravity gives us better balance. We make great sharpshooters, pilots, golfers and gymnasts because of these advantages.
But if women were participating in the evolution of sports culture would the methods of playing, and the resulting games created, end up rewarding pure physical force as much?
Women having the ability to play on an even playing field with men isn't the same as saying all women would have an even playing field with men. I think that distinction is where the important difference is between your comment and Wren's comment.