The California State Athletic Commission has put exemptions for testosterone-replacement therapy on hold until it can update its bylaws with a policy that could make the permission slip difficult to acquire. CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he won’t outright reject fighters who’ve previously received an exemption to use prescribed testosterone in California, but said new applications will be shelved until the regulations are changed. “I’m not going to say no (to those who previously have been approved), but no new ones will be given out,” he said. The policy, which was presented during a commission meeting on Monday in Los Angeles, outlaws TRT exemptions except for applicants with “irreversible, structural/organic hypogonadism.” In both the primary and secondary forms of the medical condition, the body fails to produce normal levels of testosterone. However, the policy draws a line between the physiological changes in the body produced by an “organic” deficiency and “functional” forms that produce none. Causes of primary and secondary organic testosterone deficiency include genetic, developmental and metabolic abnormalities; deficiencies caused by infections or disease; pituitary disorders; and traumatic brain injuries where the endocrine system is damaged, the policy states. Functional causes of deficiency include emotional distress, obesity, overtraining, aging and alcohol excess. “Organic defects are usually long lasting or permanent while functional defects are potentially reversible,” the policy states.