Do Transgender Women Have a Competitive Edge? A Study by the American Academy of Sports Medicine

In 1954, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. Since then, thousands of male runners have surpassed that barrier, yet no women have ever done so. This profound difference in performance prompted Professor Mark Conrad to explore fairness in athletic competition, taking it a step further by looking at the issue of the inclusion of transgender athletes competing in their preferred sex—specifically formerly male trans athletes competing as women—and the ramifications this scenario presents for the sporting world. In professional sports, the stakes are extremely high, and while many international sports federations have allowed transgender athletes to compete, they have only done so after these athletes have taken hormonal suppressants to limit their testosterone levels. As cited in a recent study by the American Academy of Sports Medicine, testosterone levels point to significant performance differences based on sex. This raises the question of whether allowing transgender athletes with elevated testosterone levels to compete as women by taking measures to “even the playing field,” is fair. Tune in to Prof. Conrad’s take on this important issue.

Host: Mark Conrad Producer: Victoria Ilano Additional Production: Jeffrey Haynes Artwork: Pamela V. White Marketing: Michelle Miller Music: ”MarcusWay/Energetic Pop Punk/Tribe of Noise”

Episode Transcript

(00:10):
Hello and
welcome to the Sports Business Podcastwith Prof.
C, the podcast that exploresthe world of professional,
collegiate, amateur and Olympic sports.
I’m Mark Conrad or Prof.
C from Fordham University's Gabelli Schoolof Business, where I serve as professor

(00:31):
of law and ethics and the directorof the Sports Business Initiative.
Here is a trivia question.
In 1954, RogerBannister broke the four minute mile.
Since then, thousands of male runnershave broken that barrier.
The world record is about 20 secondsfaster today than it was then.

(00:54):
But how many women have brokenthe four minute mile?

Answer (00:57):
Zero.
None.
The difference in successin one of the leading track races
made me think about the issueof the inclusion of transgender
athletes competing in their preferred sex.
This has become more than a sport's topic.
It has become a legaland political landmine,

(01:18):
with strong opinions offeredby those in favor and those opposed.
Some feel that trans athletes havethe right to compete with no restrictions.
Others feel the opposite,including some women's rights advocates.
In certain states, legislatorswho have been able to enact bans
on trans athletesfrom competing in their preferred gender.

(01:42):
While the Biden administrationhas released proposed rules
that would try to mark a middle ground,
the rules would allow such athletesto compete
except in situations where they were pastpuberty,
and the result would be an unfairadvantage over cisgender women.
Suffice it to say that the debate

(02:03):
has been at times nasty and personal.
I want to
focus on a sub issue that centerson the Roger Bannister trivia question,
and that is formerlymale trans athletes competing
as women on the eliteor professional levels.
The stakes are not insignificantas medals, fame and money

(02:24):
come from being a top of the worldin a given sport.
At this time, most international sportsfederations
have allowed transgender athletes,but only after they take
hormonal suppressantsto limit their testosterone levels.

This involves a central question: Do formerly male trans athletes (02:41):
undefined
who transitioned after pubertyhave an advantage over cisgender women?
And here is where we must addressthe biology
of whether testosterone levelscreate an unfair advantage.
Is there a biological basisfor this variance?

(03:03):
A recent studyreleased by the American Academy
of Sports Medicine concludesthat testosterone levels
point to significant performancedifferences based on sex.
The study, available on its website,
acsm.org,
does not make recommendations,but its conclusion fans are definitive.

Quoting from the abstract (03:26):
“Biological sex
is a primary determinantof athletic performance.
Because of fundamental sex differencesin anatomy and physiology dictated
by sex chromosomes and sex hormones.”
Note the words “primary determinant”.

(03:47):
The study concludes that, quote, “adultmen are typically stronger, more powerful,
and faster than women of similar ageand training status.
Thus, for athletic eventsand sports, relying on endurance,
muscle, strength, speed and power, malestypically outperform
females by 10 to 30%, dependingon the requirements of the event.

(04:12):
These sex differences in performanceemerged
with the onset of puberty and coincidewith the increase
in endogenous sex steroid hormones,in particular testosterone in males,
which increases 30 fold by adulthood
but remains low in females,” unquote.
The report compares the biological maleand female performances in track

(04:36):
and field, swimming, speed skating, track
cycling, weightlifting, and archery.
And the differences are striking.

Just a few examples (04:45):
in running, from 100 meters to the marathon,
the difference hovers around 10%;
in jumping and pole vault,about 15%; in swimming
between five and 15%; and speedskating 8 to 10%.
Weightlifting has the widest range, 22

(05:08):
to 30%, and archery the least with 2%.
As noted earlier, the
American Academy of Sports Medicine reportdoes not make any recommendations
on the issue of inclusion of transgenderathletes in cross sex competition
or how athletes should be categorizedfor recreational or competitive sports.

(05:30):
Rather, it is an overviewof the state of the science.
But the science says a lot,and it should be food for thought
in the debate overtransgender athlete participation
in elite level sports competitions.
Any thoughts?
Send them to meat [e-mail].

(05:54):
That's gsbsportsbusiness - One word
- @fordham.edu.
Thanks to my producer, Victoria Ilanofor all her hard work
to make this podcast happen.
And thanks to all of you for listening.
Until next time, this is ProfC for the Sports Business Podcast.