PhD, Associate professor D.V. Sobolev
Dr.Med., Professor T.S. Soboleva
PhD, Associate professor N.V. Tychinin
Voronezh State University of Engineering Technology, Voronezh

Keywords: women's sports, female athletes, hyperandrogenism, male sex hormones, masculinization

Introduction. Modern women's elite sport can be described by the phenomenon of hyperandrogenism, which is the excessive development of masculine characteristics in females related to active impact of the high concentration of androgens on "target tissues" or a disorder of androgen metabolism [5, 7].

We introduced the term "hyperandrogenism" in the domestic sport medical and pedagogical practices twenty years ago. It was borrowed from endocrinological gynecology. This approach was needed for better understanding of deviations in the formation of sex-dependent characteristics of female athletes, such as male somatotype, male type of body hair growth,  puberty disorders (the delay of the first menstruation and the delay of secondary sexual characteristics development), as well as complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Scientific researches in the causes of hyperandrogenism in athletes found the evidence of genetic factors.

However, only recently medical experts and sport officials have been forced to legalize the presence of high concentration of endogenous testosterone, i.e. the presence of congenital hyperandrogenism in elite female athletes.

In 2011, a decision of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) showed that the increase of androgens in females (hyperandrogenism) does not indicate to doping and cannot be an obstacle to participation of such athletes in a women's competition.

So, it is possible to argue that congenital hyperandrogenism in female athletes forms masculine morphofunctional and psycho-emotional parameters that lead to great sport results. Hyperandrogenism is a basis of sport success that is determined by congenital physiological and psychological prerequisites [1-3, 8, 9].

Thus, natural physiological factors, particularly hyperandrogenism, that facilitate an effective training process, provide great sport successes of women and achievement of high sports records that are close to men's results [4, 6].

For more than 30 years of studying this problem, we have proved the presence of the signs of hyperandrogenism in highly skilled female athletes in most of the sports.

Thus, an endogenous increase of androgens of various concentrations in female athletes, who have the male somatotype, plays a positive role in women's sport [6].

It is known that muscular somatotype in pediatric populations is presented only in 7-10% of girls. Based on generalized studies of specialists of Russian women's sport, T. S. Soboleva revealed that such females can be found in gymnastics in 98% of cases, in athletics in 70-90%  of cases, skiing – 71%, football – 78% and swimming – 44%. Moreover, the mentioned somatotype occurs in elite female athletes with increasing frequency. The reason is that with the rise of sport level the number of suitable girls and young women, who have the male somatotype, is increasing. 

Objective of the study was to prove the positive influence of the high concentration of endogenous androgens (hyperandrogenism) on sport success of women.

Methods and structure of the study. 52 female football players were surveyed at different stages of the research. We divided them into three groups according to the level of sport skills. The first group consisted of 18 females aged 18 to 23 years from the Voronezh major league team "Energiya". The team is a winner of the Russian Cup and the Russian Championship. The second group included 16 females of 17-20 years from the 1st league team "Tanais". The third group included 18 females of 17-20 years majoring in "Football" in Voronezh Institute of Physical Culture.

Results and discussion. For the first time in the history of domestic women's elite sport D.V. Sobolev recorded that most of the females (78%) in the Voronezh football team "Energiya" had the male somatotype that determined their superior advantage in physical development and physical fitness in comparison with the 1st league players, where only 25% of females had the male somatotype.

The results suggest that average body length indices of female elite football players were 6.1 cm higher than those of female athletes of lower sport category (172.3 and 166.2 cm, p<0.05). But most importantly, physical development of female elite football players was close to that of male football players. Thus, average body length of female elite football players was only 7.5 cm less than that of males (172.3 cm and 179.8 cm, p<0.05).

According to the test of physical work capacity (РWС₁₇₀) female elite football players exceeded the results of female players of the lower sport level by 330 kgm/m (1460 kgm/m or 20.1 kgm/m/kg versus 1130 kgm/m or 16.9 kgm/m/kg, p<0.05). Note that the results of female elite football players were only 170 kgm/m or 1.3 kgm/m/kg less compared to male football players (1460 kgm/m or 20.1 kgm/m/kg versus 1602 kgm/m or 21.3 kgm/m/kg, p<0.05).

Thus, the findings allow to conclude that considering the studied indicators female elite football players were ahead of lower skilled female players and occupied an intermediate position between them and male players, closer to males.

There is no doubt that in elite women's sport, a woman whose somatic and psychological indicators are close to those of male athletes is able to show better motor results than untrained men [1-4, 6].

In this regard, obstetricians blame women's sport unfairly [7] when they state that the signs of masculinization (hyperandrogenism), particularly the pathology of reproductive functions, in female athletes are formed due to great physical exertion. Both teachers and doctors in women's sport still ignore the significant positive effect of endogenous male sex hormones − androgens that cannot be considered as doping in the achievement of high sport results.

 The cause of hyperandrogenism is the interests of coaches related to female population, i.e. primary and, especially, the current sport qualification process. The coaches find most suitable for high motor loads girls and young women of muscular (male) and similar somatotypes, who initially have pronounced congenial motivation to hyperkinesia, as well as morphofunctional and psychological prerequisites for physical activity excessive for a woman's body.

According to prenatal endocrinology promising kinesiophilia is formed in utero in female and male fetuses due to the high concentration of endogenous androgens. Such a concentration of these hormones forms male type sexual differentiation of the brain in future girls, including hyperkinesia that can be implemented in girls and young women through women's sports.

The cause of prenatal hyperandrogenism in most cases is a genetic disorder - the congenital adrenogenital syndrome.

This genetic disease in girls causes prenatal masculinization of the brain and forms male type sex-role behaviour, including the manifestation of kinesiophilia at early age (often at the age of 3 years).

Conclusions:

• Hyperandrogenism is a congenital morphofunctional and psycho-emotional background to hyperkinesia, which is positively implemented in terms of the muscular (male) somatotype conditioned by the prenatally increased androgen levels in girls.
• Male somatotype girls have come to women's sports answering the call of their inner love to increased motor activity, which is a natural characteristic of the men's body.
• The muscular (male) somatotype in female athletes results not from the negative impact of sport, but is an innate characteristic.
• Hyperandrogenism enables female athletes to be very successful in sport and get closer to men in their sport performance. 

References

1. Vinogradov G.P. Spetsificheskie osobennosti zhenskogo organizma (Specific features of woman's body) / G.P. Vinogradov // Atletizm: teoriya i metodika (Body building: Theory and Methods). – Moscow: Sovetskiy sport, 2009. – P. 295–297.
2. Vrublevskiy E.P. Individualizatsiya podgotovki zhenshchin v skorostno-silovykh vidakh legkoy atletiki: avtoref. dis… dokt. ped nauk (Individualization of women's training in strength-speed kinds of athletics: Abstract of doctoral thesis (Hab.) / E.P. Vrublevskiy. – Volgograd, VGIFK, 2008. – 48 p.
3. Gorulev P.S. Upravlenie sportivnoy podgotovkoy zhenshchin v tyazheloy atletike s uchetom dimorficheskikh razlichiy rabotosposobnosti: avtoref dis. … dokt. ped. nauk (Management of sports training in women's weightlifting with regard to dimorphic specifics of working capacity: Abstract of doctoral thesis (Hab.) / P.S. Gorulev. – Chelyabinsk: ChSIPhC, 2006. – 46 p.
4. Grets I.A. Rekordnye sportivnye dostizheniya zhenshchin v aspekte polovogo dimorfizma: avtoref. dis. … dokt. ped. nauk (Record sport achievements of women in context of sexual dimorphism: Abstract of doctoral thesis (Hab.) / I.A. Grets; National University of Physical Education, Sport and Health n.a. P.F. Lesgaft. – St. Petersburg, 2012. – 52 p.
5. Kalinichenko S.Yu. Rol' androgenov u zhenshchin: chto my znaem? (Role of androgens for women: what do we know? / S.Yu. Kalinichenko, S.S. Apetov // Lechashchiy vrach. – 2010. – № 8. – P. 78–83.
6. Mikhalyuk E.L. Razlichiya i skhodstvo integral'nykh pokazateley funktsional'nogo sostoyaniya sportsmenov vysokogo klassa, otlichayushchikhsya po polu (obzor literatury) (Differences and similarities of integrated indicators of functional state of male and female elite athletes (literature review) / E.L. Mikhalyuk, T.S. Soboleva // Lechebnaya fizkul'tura i sportivnaya meditsina (Exercise therapy and sports medicine). – 2013. – № 1(109). – P. 36–43.
7. Niauri D.A. Reproduktivnoe zdorov'e zhenshchin v sporte (Reproductive health of women in sport) / D.A. Niauri, T.A. Evdokimova, M.Yu. Kurganova. – St. Petersburg, 2003. – 28 p.
8. Oleynik E.A. Opredelenie urovnya testosterona u zhenshchin-sportsmenok (Female athletes' testosterone level measurement) / E.A. Oleynik. A.G. Vasil'ev, A. A. Kravtsova // Morfologiya (Morphology). – 2008. – V. 134. – № 5. – P. 85.
9. Platonov V.N. Mediko-biologicheskie osnovaniya dlya ogranicheniya v razvitii zhenskoy chasti programmy Olimpiyskikh igr (Medico-biological reasons for limitations in development of the women's part of the Olympic program) / V.N. Platonov, M.M. Bulatova, E.S. Kosminina // Sportivnaya meditsina. Spetsial'ny vypusk «Zhenshchina, sport i zdorov'e» (Sports Medicine. Special edition "Woman, Sport and Health".). – 2012. – № 1. – P. 3–9.

Corresponding author: tanjasob@mail.ru

Abstract                                                                    

In modern women's sport hyperandrogenism is found in elite female athletes and is a physiological basis of their sport success. There was determined the impact of hyperandrogenism on the formation of morphological, functional and psychological characteristics of female athletes, similar to those of males, namely masculinization of their body. Masculinization of elite female athletes is the main morphofunctional and psychological basis for the convergence of women's sport records in Olympic sports with men's ones. Hyperandrogenism is a congenital morphofunctional and psycho-emotional background to hyperkinesia, which is positively implemented in terms of muscular (male) somatotype conditioned by the prenatally increased androgen levels in girls. Male somatotype girls have come to women's sports answering the call of their inner love to increased motor activity, which is a natural characteristic of the men's body.

The muscular (male) somatotype in female athletes results not from the negative impact of sport, but is an innate characteristic. Hyperandrogenism enables female athletes to be very successful in sport and get closer to men in their sport performance.