• LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    7 months ago

    Ah, because testosterone levels hugely influence muscle mass and resultant strength and performance. The longest study on the matter actually ended up with trans women having on average LESS muscle strength than cis women.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8090355/

    I don’t actually give a single shit about sports btw.

    But this is a good example, this issue brings out the inherent bloodthirst many cis have towards trans people.

    • ieatpillowtags@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      …bloodthirst?? Because somebody disagreed with you? How about you calm down instead of being such an extremist. And no, your single study with like 8 people in each group is not more convincing than all of the other studies that you’re deliberately choosing to ignore.

    • papertowels@lemmy.one
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      7 months ago

      I suspect that this study should be repeated on the athlete subpopulations, because I imagine many trans women are actively trying to not be muscular in order to aid transitioning, which is a different goal from those participating in athletics.

      • LainTrain@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        7 months ago

        How do you try “not to be muscular”? Either your T is below a certain level or it isn’t, which can and is measured as part of any transition and HRT Regimen

        • papertowels@lemmy.one
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          7 months ago

          I figured not working out results in less muscle mass, and as an athlete you’d typically want to work out.

          • BumbleTumbleGirl@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            7 months ago

            But following that logic trans women would get the exact same benefits from working out as cis women, due to them having the same or even lower T levels? I’m trying to understand your logic here

            • papertowels@lemmy.one
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              7 months ago

              I was saying that the study might not extrapolate to athletes because the trans women in the study have more reason to avoid working out than the cis women, so the actual participants may already reflect a difference in incentives to work out.

              If you compare a population that is less inclined to bulk up to a control population, which population would you expect to be stronger? Do those results extrapolate to when both populations have the same incentive to bulk up?

              • BumbleTumbleGirl@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                7 months ago

                Yeah I get what you said, I don’t understand your point though, the main advantage men have in terms of muscle mass comes from their T levels, trans women have the same if not lower T levels than cis women, so why would they have more muscle mass? Again the one study we do have shows that they have LESS

                YeSS it would be nice if we had more studies in regards to this stuff I don’t disagree, there is a shocking lack of actual evidence and scientific study when it comes to hormone therapy and everything, but the couple pieces of evidence we DO have show that there isn’t a difference. Trans women have been allowed to compete in women’s Olympics since the 2000’s why haven’t they dominated the category? Cause it doesn’t make a difference, or at least the differences are so minimal that in practice they might as well not exist

                • papertowels@lemmy.one
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                  7 months ago

                  the main advantage men have in terms of muscle mass comes from their T levels

                  Can you explain what you mean by this, specifically what the advantage you’re referring to is?

                  The conversation might be moot - the study concludes that trans women exhibited stronger grip strength than cis women, however when you divide that by the weight of skeletal + muscle, that result is what’s lower than cis men and women.

                  I don’t really know how to apply that knowledge to considering theoretical advantages in sports, even if both populations were athletes. There are some where the stronger grip strength suggests there’s an advantage, and there are some where the “density” of that strength matters more. The study (only 8 participants, no longitudal aspect whatsoever) just doesn’t seem to be the most fitting piece of evidence for what’s being discussed.