The concepts of transgenderism and gender identity have influenced the desire for change within sports, namely that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete against the gender they identify with. However, allowing them to compete would make sports unfair for biological women.
Biologically, transgender women are men. According to the National Library of Medicine, biological men have more muscle mass and higher lung capacities. These advantages allow them to outperform biological women across all sports. The same argument can be made against transgender men, who compete at a disadvantage due to a lack of muscle mass and lung capacity.
In a study conducted by the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM), members of the United States Air Force were tested on their performance in bodyweight and cardio exercises. Researchers concluded that even after hormone therapy, trans women maintain superiority in strength for up to two years, and in stamina past the two year mark.
In a separate study by the same institution, researchers also found that athletes who were transgender women had a higher grip strength compared to biological women. Grip strength is linked to muscle endurance, allowing an individual to perform longer during exercises such as pull ups.
In a study by the National Library of Medicine, researchers found that trans women maintained higher bone density after hormone therapy when compared to that of biological women.
The conclusions from both institutions indicate that hormone therapy does not fully remove biological characteristics unique to each sex, maintaining the barrier separating them. Subsequently, policies must accommodate for sex rather than gender identity in the grand scheme of athletics.
The United States Constitution guarantees protection to all, regardless of race or sex. Those choosing to identify as transgender still possess the biology of either a man or a woman. Both men and women already have rights within sports, so anyone who identifies as trans should receive the rights and amenities provided for their biological sex.
The very nature of athletics is to use one’s biology to train for a sport in order to perform well, and competitions should not be influenced by issues of gender identity. The ultimate solution to the controversy of trans athletes is to require them to compete with their biological sex, which ensures that competitions are conducted based on fairness and the hard work of each athlete.