The Study
A unique pseudo-eligibility analysis of longitudinal laboratory performance data from a transgender female competitive cyclist
This study is like watching one person do a science project on themselves over time. It shows what happened to their body during hormone treatment, but we can’t say for sure if the treatment caused the changes or if it would be the same for others. It’s interesting, but not strong proof.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
A female cyclist who is transgender had her strength and fitness tested before and after one year of hormone treatment. Her muscle strength, jumping ability, and oxygen use went down after the treatment.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 524 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, the changes are meaningful because they show her physical performance got closer to typical female levels in some ways, but not all.
- 2Her handgrip strength dropped 7–13%, jumping ability dropped 23–29%, and oxygen use dropped 15–30%.
- 3Some of her results were better than average female cyclists, some were worse.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Translational Exercise Biomedicine
Year
2024
Authors
Blair R. Hamilton, Ke Hu, F. Guppy, Y. Pitsiladis
Related Content
Claims (4)
Trans women on hormone therapy perform just as well—or just as poorly—as cis women in sports, with no real difference between them.
A female-to-male cyclist saw her strength, jumping power, and stamina drop after a year of hormone therapy as part of her transition.
One transgender woman cyclist on hormone therapy for a year might have lost some physical edge over cis women cyclists, but her performance changed in different ways depending on the type of test.
A female-to-male cyclist started hormone therapy, and within a year, some of her performance numbers looked more like other women's, while others didn’t — showing a mix of changes.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.