Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple

Okay.

So as long as you're within that broad, normal range, and of course, what's normal for you differs from what's normal for someone else.

So if there are...

changes that might impact you because now you're below what is your normal then that can manifest in a variety of ways but there isn't this clear kind of linear relationship where we would say oh let's measure your testosterone you are going to be a hard gainer or you're going to put on mass really easily.

I'd say, yes, it's independent of the testosterone levels, but we're going to start with different baselines.

And then it depends on the stimulus that you are using for growth.

And some people are adapting to that growth stimulus

to a greater extent than others.

But part of that is effective, consistent, progressive training.

And then part of it is arguably some genetic factors.

But when we even look at the molecular level, say fiber type differences, we see

adaptation in both sexes that is quite dramatic.

And that tells us that both men and women have the potential for large adaptations in either direction, whether we're saying, you know, to endurance type training or resistance type training.

Well, the circulating levels are already quite low.

And one of the issues here is that the way testosterone has been measured in women for a very long time is such that the assays are not capable of detecting some of these normal low levels.

So we know a lot less about those lower kind of circulating levels of testosterone in women than I think...

people acknowledge.

But more importantly, that acute response to exercise, that increase in post-exercise testosterone, growth hormone, et cetera, people used to think that was the driver of hypertrophy.

And so there were all of these training styles to sort of maximize that response.

And so people would