Strength, power and aerobic capacity of transgender athletes: a cross-sectional study

Hamilton, B ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7412-1188, Brown, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9553-3081, Montagner-Moraes, S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0957-5002, Comeras-Chueca, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9483-3262, Bush, PG ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8609-2812, Guppy, FM ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8526-9169 and Pitsiladis, YP ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6210-2449 (2024) Strength, power and aerobic capacity of transgender athletes: a cross-sectional study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 58 (11). pp. 586-597. ISSN 0306-3674

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Abstract

Objective The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare standard laboratory performance metrics of transgender athletes to cisgender athletes. Methods 19 cisgender men (CM) (mean±SD, age: 37±9 years), 12 transgender men (TM) (age: 34±7 years), 23 transgender women (TW) (age: 34±10 years) and 21 cisgender women (CW) (age: 30±9 years) underwent a series of standard laboratory performance tests, including body composition, lung function, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, strength and lower body power. Haemoglobin concentration in capillary blood and testosterone and oestradiol in serum were also measured. Results In this cohort of athletes, TW had similar testosterone concentration (TW 0.7±0.5 nmol/L, CW 0.9±0.4 nmol/), higher oestrogen (TW 742.4±801.9 pmol/L, CW 336.0±266.3 pmol/L, p=0.045), higher absolute handgrip strength (TW 40.7±6.8 kg, CW 34.2±3.7 kg, p=0.01), lower forced expiratory volume in 1 s:forced vital capacity ratio (TW 0.83±0.07, CW 0.88±0.04, p=0.04), lower relative jump height (TW 0.7±0.2 cm/kg; CW 1.0±0.2 cm/kg, p<0.001) and lower relative V˙O 2 max (TW 45.1±13.3 mL/kg/min/, CW 54.1±6.0 mL/kg/min, p<0.001) compared with CW athletes. TM had similar testosterone concentration (TM 20.5±5.8 nmol/L, CM 24.8±12.3 nmol/L), lower absolute hand grip strength (TM 38.8±7.5 kg, CM 45.7±6.9 kg, p=0.03) and lower absolute V˙O 2 max (TM 3635±644 mL/min, CM 4467±641 mL/min p=0.002) than CM. Conclusion While longitudinal transitioning studies of transgender athletes are urgently needed, these results should caution against precautionary bans and sport eligibility exclusions that are not based on sport-specific (or sport-relevant) research.