Kara

A cisgender male and a trans woman athlete who is on feminising hormone treatment or who has surgically transitioned like @Anaya_Bangar has cannot be equated. Trans women athletes are physiologically different from male athletes, hence why I believe the basis of any blanket ban policy is flawed. The research shows the physical fitness of transgender and cisgender women is comparable. The most comprehensive synthesis to date, a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis (Sieczkowska et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine) of 52 studies and 6,485 participants, shows: 1- That there is no significant difference in lean body composition or upper and lower body strength between cis women and trans women after 1-3 years of hormone treatment. 2- There are also no differences in cardiorespiratory fitness between cis women and trans women. 3- Therefore, there is no evidence that trans women are stronger or have greater muscle mass or endurance, as has been suggested in the public debate. 4- Furthermore, in comparisons between trans women undergoing hormone treatment and cis men, trans women do have lower results in terms of lean mass, upper and lower body strength, and cardiometabolic performance than cis men. 5- Trans men do have greater strength and muscle mass than cis women, but they do not reach the values achieved by cis men. 6- Although the review has some limitations, such as the lack of studies on elite athletes and the lack of studies on specific sports events, it gives us two clear messages: 1- There is no evidence to support the claims that trans women have greater strength and endurance than cis women, and that exposure to testosterone prior to hormone treatment in trans women does not lead to better physical conditions for sport. 2- Therefore, contrary to the opinion that trans women should not compete in the female category, this systematic review shows us that there is no scientific justification for this discrimination in a single female sport. bmjgroup.com/physical-fitnes…