London: The governing body of world athletics welcomed a landmark study showing high testosterone helped women run better, saying it justified their decision to bar Olympic champion Caster Semenya from key races.

In a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Swedish researchers found women with higher testosterone could run longer and had more lean muscle mass.

South Africa's double Olympic champion Caster Semenya. Credit:AP

The International Association of Athletics Federations - which governs track and field - embraced the study as proof it had done the right thing in barring South Africa's Semenya for high testosterone levels, a primarily male hormone.

"The IAAF introduced a testosterone limit for the female category for the sole purpose of maintaining fair and meaningful competition for women," it said in a statement on Wednesday.