A new study claims that transgender women exhibit physical strength and overall fitness comparable to cisgender women after months of gender-affirming hormone therapy.
In a groundbreaking study published in British Journal of Sports MedicineBrazilian scientists reviewed existing studies that compared the body composition and physical fitness of transgender people before and after hormone therapy to cisgender people.
Overall, the analysis examined 52 studies that included 6,485 people between the ages of 14 and 41, including 2,943 transgender women, 2,309 transgender men, 568 cisgender women, and 665 cisgender men.
Pooled analyzes showed that transgender women’s body composition differed from that of both cisgender men and cisgender women. The researchers argued that the findings “do not support theories of the benefits of innate athletic ability” for transgender women undergoing hormone therapy.
According to reports independent personThe study found that transgender women had significantly more body fat than cisgender men, but the amount was similar to that of cisgender women.
The researchers noted that while musculoskeletal differences persist between transgender and cisgender women, these differences do not appear to confer an athletic advantage in terms of physical fitness.
Although transgender women appear to maintain lean body mass, including more muscle mass, 1 to 3 years after starting hormone therapy, there were no observable differences in upper or lower body strength compared to cisgender women. This analysis also found no difference between the two groups in maximal oxygen consumption (VOâ‚‚ max), a key measure of cardiorespiratory fitness.
“This refutes the logic behind a total ban on transgender women in sports,” study co-author Bruno Guarano, a doctor and researcher at the University of São Paulo, told the Spanish newspaper. El Pais. “Most of these policies are based on the assumption that transgender women retain an innate physical advantage and will therefore have an advantage in women’s competitions. The data do not support this idea.”
The study also found that transgender men experienced decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, and increased strength after one to three years of hormone therapy.
The scientists noted that the main limitation of the analysis was that it focused on physiological outcomes, with “little consideration of the social, psychological and cultural factors” that shape athletic performance. The reviewed studies also did not address muscle memory or the ability of muscles that have previously adapted to exercise to maintain their benefits after hormonal changes, highlighting the need for further research.
The researchers also called for future longitudinal studies examining performance-specific indicators for transgender athletes.
Experts not involved in the study urged caution when interpreting the results.
“Although this review included a large number of transgender participants overall, most were adults,” said Kim Meredith-Jones, director of the Bone and Body Composition Research Unit at the University of Otago. independent person. “This means that our results cannot tell us what happens to young people who use puberty blockers or begin a medical transition during adolescence. It remains a significant evidence gap.”
Other scientists harshly criticized the study, calling it flawed. daily mail.
Alan Williams, professor of sport and exercise genomics at Manchester Metropolitan University, told the paper that participants’ fitness levels were not tracked over time or before treatment began, and that “comparing groups without rigorously assessing training history is largely meaningless”.
“We disagree with the authors that previously published studies and reviews undermine the evidence that transgender women have an inherent athletic advantage,” Williams said.
This finding contrasts with previous research that reported that transgender women have a significant athletic advantage over cisgender women. for example, study A paper published in 2022 found that transgender women were faster, stronger, and healthier than most cisgender women, despite undergoing hormone therapy.
Blair Hamilton, a research fellow in applied sport and exercise physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University, welcomed the findings, stressing the need for further research.
“Overall, the results of this study make sense and are consistent with what we’ve seen in the extensive scientific literature and in my own research, but there is intense debate in this area,” Hamilton said. daily mail.
Hamilton added that further research is needed to examine potential differences between elite athletes, such as whether transgender women who transition after reaching high fitness levels can maintain a performance advantage over cisgender women. However, he noted that the small number of openly transgender elite athletes makes it difficult to conduct such studies.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
