US EditionPhysical fitness of transgender and cisgender women is comparable, current evidence suggests
A review of 52 studies with 6,485 participants shows transgender women have similar strength and aerobic fitness to cisgender women despite greater lean mass after hormone therapy.
- Published online Tuesday, the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that transgender women had greater lean mass 1–3 years after hormone therapy but showed comparable upper/lower body strength and VO2 max to cisgender women.
- In pursuit of clarification, the researchers reviewed studies comparing body composition and fitness before and after hormone therapy to inform female sports participation policies amid contested debates.
- The review pooled 52 studies involving 6,485 people , with varied designs and only 16 including physical activity assessment.
- The authors conclude the available evidence does not support inherent athletic advantage and does not justify blanket bans, and they stress variable evidence urges future long-term longitudinal studies prioritising performance-specific metrics for policymakers weighing participation rules.
- Given scarce elite transgender athletes, targeted studies remain difficult as Prof Alun Williams noted thorough literature gathering but highlighted problems and IOC Research Fund links.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Landmark study suggests trans women may not have advantage in sports
A new review of studies around trans athletes has suggested that trans women may not have any fitness advantage in sports. The findings of the review note that transgender women exhibit strength and fitness levels similar to cisgender women after undergoing months of hormone replacement therapy. The review involved scientists in Brazil collating and analysing findings from around 50 studies involving a total of 6,485 people, including 2,943 tran…
der Standard AT
der Standard DEAccording to a new meta-analysis, the physical fitness of transgender women is comparable to that of women who were born with female sexual characteristics.
Sharron Davies tears into 'ridiculous' study on trans athletes which claims they have 'NO advantage' over biological women
Sharron Davies has expressed her outrage at a new study on trans athletes, which claims transgender women have "no advantage" over biological women in sport.Speaking to GB News, the former Olympic swimmer declared she was "disappointed" in the British Medical Journal for publishing such a "ridiculous" study.The astonishing research has suggested transgender women have "comparable fitness" to those whose birth sex is female.The study, published i…
Based on data from 52 studies with more than 6,000 participants, the authors do not observe differences in strength or cardiorespiratory capacity of transgender women, although they recognize limitations in the outcomeHemeroteca - The international athletics federation introduces a mandatory genetic test to compete in the female category Transgender women have greater muscle mass between 1 and 3 years after receiving hormone therapy, but the ava…
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