Transgender women athletes have an athletic advantage over cisgender women
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 71/100
The weight of current physiological and sports science literature indicates that transgender women retain residual athletic advantages in strength, muscle mass, and cardiopulmonary capacity compared to cisgender women, even after standard periods of testosterone suppression and hormone therapy.
Evidence for · 7
Circulating Testosterone as the Hormonal Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance
2018 · cited by 582
Circulating testosterone drives male physiological advantages in muscle mass, strength, and hemoglobin, creating an ergogenic advantage.
Evidence against · 1
Sport and Transgender People: A Systematic Review of the Literature Relating to Sport Participation and Competitive Sport Policies
2016 · cited by 308
A systematic review found no direct or consistent research demonstrating that transgender female individuals possess an athletic advantage at any stage of transition.
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More for · 6
Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage
2020 · cited by 165
Testosterone suppression in transgender women results in only modest reductions (about 5%) in muscle mass and strength after 12 months, preserving a muscular advantage.
How does hormone transition in transgender women change body composition, muscle strength and haemoglobin? Systematic review with a focus on the implications for sport participation
2021 · cited by 163
After up to 36 months of hormone therapy, transgender women retain lean body mass, muscle area, and strength values that remain above those of cisgender women.
Muscle Strength, Size, and Composition Following 12 Months of Gender-affirming Treatment in Transgender Individuals
2019 · cited by 113
One year of gender-affirming treatment results in robust changes for transgender men but only modest decreases in muscle mass and strength for transgender women.
Effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on insulin resistance and body composition in transgender individuals: A systematic review
2020 · cited by 111
Feminizing hormone therapy decreases lean mass in transgender women, but absolute values and retained physiological differences leave residual performance advantages.
The Impact of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy on Physical Performance
2023 · cited by 70
While some relative performance metrics approach those of cisgender women, absolute lean mass and certain strength measures remain higher in transgender women.
Cardiopulmonary capacity and muscle strength in transgender women on long-term gender-affirming hormone therapy: a cross-sectional study
2022 · cited by 53
Absolute cardiopulmonary capacity and mean strength in transgender women remain higher than in cisgender women, even after long-term hormone therapy.