Study labelled ‘opinions’ by trans mountainbiker
Kiwi mountainbiker Kate Weatherly disagrees with Otago University research finding transgender women athletes have an advantage over female rivals.
Weatherly was formerly an average men’s downhill mountainbike competitor. She is the elite women’s national champion, and some rivals say that’s unfair.
Weatherly, who transitioned to female, does not believe she has any advantage over female mountainbikers.
However, an Otago University study released this week concluded transgender females do have an advantage over cis females (born females) in respect to testosterone levels, muscle mass, muscle distribution, power and endurance.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules say male to female trans athletes can compete in women’s divisions provided their testosterone level does not exceed 10 nanomoles per litre.
The average amount of testosterone for a born female ranges from .870nmol/L. to 1.7nmol/L – nearly 10 times lower than that limit.
Otago researchers Lynley Anderson, Alison Heather and Taryn Knox found the 10nmol/l level permitted by the IOC was ‘‘significantly higher than that of cis-gender women, whose sex and gender align as female’’.
Heather, also a professor of physiology, said the rule book needed to change.
‘‘It is 10 to 20 times higher than a cis female, so this is one of my major concerns.’’
Speaking from Morzine France, Weatherly agreed 10n/mol limit is too high.
But, she pointed out, this was not much higher than the average level for transgender females.
‘‘Any trans woman who has properly blocked testosterone or has had surgery will have around 0.4 n/mol.’’
Weatherly said she disliked in the being called transgender.
‘‘I’m not ‘a transgender’, I am a woman who happens to be transgender, as a result I want to be able to compete with my fellow women. I’m not winning by crazy margins and the anecdotal evidence does point to me having little to no advantage.’’
She believed the research did not take in to account the point in life when one was transitioning.
For example a young male who hasn’t hit puberty, would have different results to an adult male.
However, Heather’s research says testosterone takes effect from the womb.
‘‘It’s not just your here and now testosterone that matters, there is also prior exposure to testosterone,’’ she said.
Testosterone even from a foetus is defining a male’s brain, a male’s bone structure and their lung structure.
‘‘They have a different bone structure so they are able to put more power in their jumping and anything that involves having to lift something, they have more power in their legs through their knees to hip ratio.’’
Weatherly says transitioning comes with reduced muscle size, increased body fat and lower red blood cell count, each of which would be an obvious disadvantage for her competing.
There has not been a study on trans athletes to show exactly what advantages they have.
‘‘The opinions of scientists although valid, are just that, opinions,’’ Weatherly said.
‘‘Although they might be physiologists, that doesn’t mean they’re experts on trans physiology, really evidence should be what we’re basing our decisions in this sport on, not opinions.
‘‘I can’t say for sure that every single trans woman has no advantage over every cis woman but I would say that any advantage currently experienced by trans women competing on an international level is within the normal differences among competitors.’’
The researchers concluded sport needed to review its inclusive and fairness policies. They argued while trans athletes should absolutely be able to compete at top-level sport, it should not be at the unfair disadvantage to a cis female athlete.