Sex differences in elite track and field performances and inferences about steroid doping

Abstract

AbstractFemales likely experience larger performance benefits from androgenic-anabolic steroids than males. We set out to determine if there were temporal differences in select athletics (track and field) records between females and males. Exploratory aims included: 1) evaluating the improvements in female and male world records over time, and 2) investigating the influence of doping programs on male and female world records before and after 1990 when sport’s governing bodies began to implement random out-of-competition and systematic in-competition drug testing. We collected the top 500 performances of all time for both sexes from an online database (worldathletics.org) in four running events (100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m) and two throwing events (discus throw and shot put). Data were stratified into quintiles based on world record ranking (1stto 100th, 101stto 200th, etc.). The temporal distribution of top 100 female performers was significantly earlier than top 100 male performers (year: 2000±1 vs 2005±1, respectively; p<0.001). Within event, the top performances occurred significantly earlier for females in the 800m (year: 1995±15 vs 2003±12; p<0.001) and shot put (year: 1992±14 vs 2003±17; p<0.001). Among females, world records rapidly improved through the 1980s, however following the 1990, the world records ceased to improve. Geographically, there was a greater representation of countries with state-sponsored doping programs, specifically among female performances. We postulate these sex differences in the temporal distribution of top performances are likely associated with enhanced effectiveness of exogenous androgens (steroid doping) among female athletes with lower endogenous androgen hormones compared to males.HighlightsWhat is the central question of this study?Despite a longstanding notion that top performance in athletics occurred earlier for females compared to males, likely due to the larger performance benefits of androgenic-anabolic steroids, no study has compared this temporal relation. Thus, we examined the temporal distribution of select athletics events between females and males.What is the main finding and its importance?The top-100 female performances occurred earlier than the top-100 male performances. The sex-related temporal differences were particularly notable for the shot put and 800m. Furthermore, there was a greater representation of countries with known state-sponsored doping programs, specifically among females. Our analyses suggest anabolic-androgenic steroids played a greater role in the world’s best female athletics performances.