Testosterone for performance enhancement? Yes, please!

Testosterone for performance enhancement? Yes, please!

From Empowering Midlife Wellness with Dr. Susan by Dr. Susan Hardwick-Smith

May 13, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the role of testosterone in women's health and its impact on physical performance.

It’s time to move beyond the fear-based conversation around testosterone and start discussing the science. Testosterone is not simply a “male hormone.” It plays a critical role in women’s physiology — influencing muscle mass, endurance, motivation, cognition, mood, metabolic health, sexual function, recovery, and overall vitality. In this video, I explore: • The evidence behind testosterone and physical performance • Significant improvements in muscle mass and time to exhaustion (running) • Why free testosterone matters more than total testosterone alone • SHBG, albumin binding, and equilibrium dialysis • Genetic differences in androgen receptor sensitivity (CAG repeats) • Why there is no single “optimal” testosterone number for every woman • The importance of individualized dosing and monitoring • Long-term safety data, including transgender testosterone research More than 95% of testosterone is bound to SHBG and albumin. Hormonal physiology is nuanced, individualized, and far more complex than many outdated narratives suggest. The reality is this: When properly prescribed, dosed, and monitored, testosterone therapy is remarkably safe. Referenced studies include: • British…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Susan Hardwick-Smith

Topics covered

  • testosterone
  • performance enhancement
  • women's health
  • muscle mass
  • individualized therapy

Keywords

  • testosterone
  • women's physiology
  • muscle mass
  • endurance
  • cognition
  • hormonal therapy
  • safety data

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British Journal of Sports Medicine

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