Spare Alabama the lecture, NCAA Updated 7:00 AM; This is an opinion column. Last week the Alabama legislature passed a bill prohibiting high school athletes from competing in events designated for the gender other than the one on their birth certificate. The bill was motivated by the recognition that, even when attempting to transition from male to female by taking testosterone-suppressing drugs, biological males possess inherent physical advantages over females. For instance, hormonal therapy can’t fully erase the 30-40 percent advantage in muscle mass a biological male has over a biological female. It doesn’t undo the fact that male bones are longer and thicker, giving them the ability to withstand more pressure without injury and apply more force. Testosterone blockers can’t negate the fact that males have larger hearts and lungs, increasing their aerobic capacity by 25 percent, on average.