The British Journal of Sports Medicine published the results of a recent study on the cardiopulmonary capacity and muscle strength of transgender women versus biological women titled, “Cardiopulmonary capacity and muscle strength in transgender women on long-term gender-affirming hormone therapy: a cross-sectional study.”
The small study included 15 transgender women who had received hormone therapy for an average of 14 years compared to 13 biological men and 14 biological women.
In a surprise to no one, the study revealed that transgender women have more muscle mass and cardiopulmonary capacity than biological women. In the study referenced below, CW represents cis-gender women (biological women) and CM refers to cis-gender men (biological men.)
Researchers shared that their findings could help “inform policy” about decisions involving transgender women in sports.
According to the study:
In this small cohort of non-athlete TW, who were previously exposed to male pubertal development and underwent long-term oestrogen therapy, we identified higher grip strength and VO2 peak levels than in non-athlete CW, but these same parameters were lower compared with non-athlete CM.
These findings add new insights to the sparse information available on a highly controversial topic about the participation of TW in physical activities. Future studies involving transgender athletes that account for and quantify variable exposure times to pubertal development and assess muscle cell metabolism are needed to elucidate the effects of long-term GAHT on TW sports performance.
Several states, including Louisiana and Mississippi, have addressed these inequities and attacks on women by banning trans-athletes from competing in women’s sports in their states.
Non the less, transgender athletes continue to infringe on women’s sports.
A transgender golfer, who played on a men’s college team, is poised to become the first transgender woman to earn an LGPA tour card.
A transgender cyclist in the UK was ruled ineligible to participate in a women’s championship race after female competitors reportedly threatened to boycott.
Transgender University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas won the first event a NCAA swimming and diving finals in March, 2022. At the end of Thomas’s collegiate swimming career at UPenn, Thomas moved from 65th on the men’s team to 1st on the women’s team in the 500-yard freestyle.
A female Virginia Tech swimmer shared the frustrations of having to compete against biological men and the negative impact of that attack on women.
Swimmer: It’s a common conception that we are all very disappointed and frustrated with someone who has capabilities more than us women have, to be able to compete at this level and take opportunities away from other women. Like, I have a teammate who did not make finals today because she was just bumped out of finals, and it’s heartbreaking to see someone who went through puberty as a male and has the body of a male be able to absolutely blow away the competition. Then you go into it with a mindset that you don’t have a chance, if that makes sense. Like it’s hard to compete against someone with the aerobic capacity, the muscle development, the body of a man, it’s hard. It’s hard to think about it like that, and staying positive, I bet for other swimmers who are in that, is probably overwhelming. I’m not sure. I can’t speak for them. But it’s disappointing to see and frustrating definitely.
Riley Gaines, an outspoken and powerful advocate for women in sports, joined Tucker Carlson early in 2022 and passionately explained the disheartening and insulting impact of men competing in women’s sports.
Gaines shared, “It’s an insult. It’s incredibly disheartening. And quite frankly, it’s wrong. We have an NCAA Woman of the Year who spent 95% of their life as a male. It doesn’t add up. It is incredibly, just, insulting . Think of all the athletes at UPenn, the deserving female athletes who did not get this nomination and Thomas did after quite literally only one year. Woman of the Year, it makes sense because it’s been one year Thomas has spent as a female. So yeah, it’s insulting. It’s a punch in the gut. It’s a slap to the face. It’s a total regression of what Title IX stands for.”
