How Hormone Therapy Changes Strength and Fitness in Trans People
The Impact of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy on Physical Performance
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looks at how hormone treatments change strength and fitness in trans men and women who don’t play sports. It checks if their bodies get stronger or weaker over time and compares them to cis men and women.
Surprising Findings
Trans women maintain a push-up advantage despite losing muscle and having lower hemoglobin and VO2 peak than cis men.
Most people assume muscle mass directly determines strength, but this suggests neuromuscular efficiency, training history, or skeletal structure may play a bigger role than expected.
Practical Takeaways
Trans women athletes can expect their endurance and running performance to align with cis women within 2 years of hormone therapy.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study looks at how hormone treatments change strength and fitness in trans men and women who don’t play sports. It checks if their bodies get stronger or weaker over time and compares them to cis men and women.
Surprising Findings
Trans women maintain a push-up advantage despite losing muscle and having lower hemoglobin and VO2 peak than cis men.
Most people assume muscle mass directly determines strength, but this suggests neuromuscular efficiency, training history, or skeletal structure may play a bigger role than expected.
Practical Takeaways
Trans women athletes can expect their endurance and running performance to align with cis women within 2 years of hormone therapy.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Year
2023
Authors
A. Cheung, S. Zwickl, Kirsti Miller, B. Nolan, A. Wong, Patrice Jones, N. Eynon
Related Content
Claims (6)
Trans women on hormone therapy perform just as well—or just as poorly—as cis women in sports, with no real difference between them.
Trans women on long-term hormone therapy might have similar oxygen levels and fitness as cis women, even after going through male puberty.
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.
Trans guys who aren't athletes gain noticeable muscle and strength in their first year on testosterone, and after about 3 years, their push-ups, sit-ups, and running get close to or match the average fitness levels of cis men.
Trans women who aren't athletes and take feminizing hormones tend to gain fat and lose muscle in the first year, with muscle continuing to decrease over three years, leading to a more typically feminine body shape.