Abstract
With increasing emphasis being placed on the female's success in international sport, hormonal controls and alterations to enhance her performance have become a common practice in some sports.
Control of the menstrual cycle through the use of hormonal contraceptive medication is the most common alteration. Supplementing the endocrine system by taking anabolic steroids is becoming an increasing problem in events requiring strength and power. In other sports such as gymnastics, the use of hormonal inhibitors to retard growth and development is reported to be practiced in some Eastern countries.
With the emergence of Dr. Renee Richards in women's professional tennis, the issue of man-to-woman transsexualism through surgery and hormonal treatment has produced another cause for concern regarding biochemical and surgical alterations for enhanced performance.
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