Analysis Version
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descriptive
Analysis v1
Supported

Trans women on hormone therapy perform just as well—or just as poorly—as cis women in sports, with no real difference between them.

57
Pro
49
Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (2)

57

Community contributions welcome

57

Cardiopulmonary capacity and muscle strength in transgender women on long-term gender-affirming hormone therapy: a cross-sectional study

Cross-Sectional Study
Human
2022 Nov

After years of hormone therapy, trans women’s heart and muscle performance are similar to cis women’s when body size is taken into account.

1

The Impact of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy on Physical Performance

Narrative Review
Human
2024 Jan 18

The study shows that after a couple of years on hormone therapy, trans women's physical performance becomes very similar to cis women's, with most differences disappearing.

Contradicting (2)

49

Community contributions welcome

49

Effect of gender affirming hormones on athletic performance in transwomen and transmen: implications for sporting organisations and legislators

Cohort Study
Human
2020 Dec 7

The study shows that after hormone therapy, trans women still run significantly faster than cis women, meaning there is still a performance difference.

24

A unique pseudo-eligibility analysis of longitudinal laboratory performance data from a transgender female competitive cyclist

Cohort Study
Human

The study shows that even after a year of hormone therapy, a trans woman cyclist still had higher performance levels in key areas than the average cis woman cyclist, which means there are still differences.

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Similar Assertions

Trans women who aren't athletes seem to run about as well as cis women after two years on hormone therapy — their endurance might become similar during that time.

1
0
83%

Trans women athletes tend to slow down more in long races after hormone therapy than in short sprints—suggesting endurance is affected more than quick bursts of power.

44
0
77%

Even after years of hormone therapy, transgender women might still be able to do more push-ups than cisgender women on average, possibly because some strength differences stick around longer than expected.

1
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77%

Trans women under 30 who've been on hormone therapy for a year are still 9% faster at running than cis women the same age, even though they've lost their edge in push-ups and sit-ups. This suggests that one year of hormone treatment might not completely level the playing field for endurance sports.

49
0
76%

Before starting hormone therapy, trans women can do 31% more push-ups and run 1.5 miles 21% faster than cis women under 30 — probably because of the effects of testosterone during puberty.

49
0
76%