Testosterone Information

Other names:

• Androgen

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approval

Testosterone is classified as a registered medicine.

World Anti-Doping Code Prohibited List 2025

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) classifies testosterone on the prohibited list as S1.1 Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) which are prohibited at all times - both in and out of competition.

This substance meets at least two of the following three criteria, as determined by WADA:

• It has the potential to enhance or does enhance sports performance
• It poses an actual or potential health risk to the athlete
• It violates the spirit of sport (as defined in The Code).

The Prohibited List is updated yearly after consultation with scientific, medical, and anti-doping experts to ensure that it aligns with the latest medical and scientific evidence and doping trends.

What is it?

Testosterone is a hormone that is produced naturally in the body by both males and females with males producing higher levels of testosterone compared to females.

Testosterone is responsible for sexual, mental, and physical development in males. Testosterone is also a precursor to estrogen synthesis by the ovaries in women.

How does it work?

Testosterone is synthesised from cholesterol through steroidogenesis via a controlled feedback loop.

Secreted testosterone circulates in the blood either in a free form or bound to carrier proteins.

Testosterone itself binds to the androgen receptor in skeletal muscle. This binding is associated with an increase in muscle mass due to hypertrophy of type 1 (slow twitch) and type 2 (fast twitch) muscle fibres.

Once testosterone is metabolised it is then excreted in urine.

Uses

Testosterone was first used as a clinical drug in 1930s.

The hormone is now widely prescribed as part of a hormone replacement therapy to treat males with a condition known as hypogonadism. This diagnosis is where the body produces lower levels of testosterone and may lead to clinical implications. 

Testosterone is a prescribed medication that may be administered as an injection, transdermal patch, cream or gel. 

The physiological effects of testosterone use include increased muscle size and strength, improved aerobic endurance, decreased fat mass, faster recovery from high exertion exercise, and increased muscular power.

Adverse health effects and risk

There are multiple studies on the adverse effects of testosterone.

The use of exogenous testosterone has been reported to suppress the production of luteinising hormone which can lead to the reduction of sperm production. 

Anabolic androgenic steroid use is associated with cardiac injury, oxidative stress, heart rate variability.

Hepatotoxicity is a frequent side effect and long-term administration of high doses may have more serious consequences including neurodegeneration, gene expression alteration leading to cancer and sudden cardiac death.

What if an athlete has been prescribed testosterone for a medical condition?

If an athlete is prescribed testosterone by a medical practitioner for a legitimate therapeutic reason, they may be eligible for a TUE.

There are strict criteria that must be met for an athlete to be eligible for a TUE for testosterone use. 

Athletes should refer to the Medical evidence needed for further information under the Male Hypogonadism and Transgender Athlete sections.

Note:
WADA documentation states that a TUE for testosterone should not be approved for females.