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the claim

Transgender women athletes have an athletic advantage over cisgender women

the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
Recorded sources
7 sources for · 1 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that transgender women athletes have an athletic advantage over cisgender women?

Yes. 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.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 7 sources for, 1 against · Last checked

The analysis

The retrieved literature heavily emphasizes empirical studies and systematic reviews (e.g., Harper 2015/2021, Hilton & Lundberg 2021, Roberts et al. 2020) demonstrating that while gender-affirming hormone therapy reduces certain parameters like hemoglobin rapidly, key determinants of athletic performance such as muscle mass, strength, and absolute cardiopulmonary capacity undergo only modest reductions (typically around 5%) and remain elevated above cisgender female baselines even after years of suppression. Although some reviews call for more controlled data or note overlapping relative metrics, the preponderance of recent high-quality physiological evidence supports the presence of an athletic advantage.

Evidence for · 7
Circulating Testosterone as the Hormonal Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance
2018
Circulating testosterone drives male physiological advantages in muscle mass, strength, and hemoglobin, creating an ergogenic advantage.
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Handelsman, D. J., Hirschberg, A. L., & Bermon, S. (2018). Circulating Testosterone as the Hormonal Basis of Sex Differences in Athletic Performance. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2018-00020

Evidence against · 1
Sport and Transgender People: A Systematic Review of the Literature Relating to Sport Participation and Competitive Sport Policies
2016
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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Jones, B. A., Arcelus, J., Bouman, W. P., & Haycraft, E. (2016). Sport and Transgender People: A Systematic Review of the Literature Relating to Sport Participation and Competitive Sport Policies. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0621-y

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More for · 6
Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage
2020
Testosterone suppression in transgender women results in only modest reductions (about 5%) in muscle mass and strength after 12 months, preserving a muscular advantage.
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Hilton, E. & Lundberg, T. R. (2020). Transgender Women in the Female Category of Sport: Perspectives on Testosterone Suppression and Performance Advantage. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01389-3

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
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.
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Harper, J., O’Donnell, E., Khorashad, B. S., McDermott, H., & Witcomb, G. L. (2021). 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. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-103106

Muscle Strength, Size, and Composition Following 12 Months of Gender-affirming Treatment in Transgender Individuals
2019
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.
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Wiik, A., Lundberg, T. R., Rullman, E., Andersson, D. P., Holmberg, M., Mandić, M., Brismar, T. B., Leinhard, O. D., Chanpen, S., Flanagan, J. N., Arver, S., & Gustafsson, T. (2019). Muscle Strength, Size, and Composition Following 12 Months of Gender-affirming Treatment in Transgender Individuals. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz247

Effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on insulin resistance and body composition in transgender individuals: A systematic review
2020
Feminizing hormone therapy decreases lean mass in transgender women, but absolute values and retained physiological differences leave residual performance advantages.
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Spanos, C., Bretherton, I., Zajac, J. D., & Cheung, A. S. (2020). Effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on insulin resistance and body composition in transgender individuals: A systematic review. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v11.i3.66

The Impact of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy on Physical Performance
2023
While some relative performance metrics approach those of cisgender women, absolute lean mass and certain strength measures remain higher in transgender women.
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Cheung, A. S., Zwickl, S., Miller, K., Nolan, B. J., Wong, A. F. Q., Jones, P., & Eynon, N. (2023). The Impact of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy on Physical Performance. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad414

Cardiopulmonary capacity and muscle strength in transgender women on long-term gender-affirming hormone therapy: a cross-sectional study
2022
Absolute cardiopulmonary capacity and mean strength in transgender women remain higher than in cisgender women, even after long-term hormone therapy.
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Alvares, L. A. M., Santos, M. R. d., Souza, F. R. d., Santos, L. M., Mendonça, B. B., Costa, E. M. F., Alves, M. J. N. N., & Domenice, S. (2022). Cardiopulmonary capacity and muscle strength in transgender women on long-term gender-affirming hormone therapy: a cross-sectional study. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105400

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What does the evidence say?

The retrieved literature heavily emphasizes empirical studies and systematic reviews (e.g., Harper 2015/2021, Hilton & Lundberg 2021, Roberts et al. 2020) demonstrating that while gender-affirming hormone therapy reduces certain parameters like hemoglobin rapidly, key determinants of athletic performance such as muscle mass, strength, and absolute cardiopulmonary capacity undergo only modest reductions (typically around 5%) and remain elevated above cisgender female baselines even after years of suppression. Although some reviews call for more controlled data or note overlapping relative metrics, the preponderance of recent high-quality physiological evidence supports the presence of an athletic advantage.

Receipt History
first checked01 Aug 2026
judged → SUPPORTED · 7101 Aug 2026
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