Olympic Women’s Category Under Review as Scientific Paper Highlights Male Puberty Advantage
LAUSANNE / LONDON The fairness of women’s sport at the elite level is under renewed scrutiny after a recent academic paper concluded that male puberty confers physiological advantages that cannot be fully mitigated, a finding shaping policy debates within the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and global sports federations.
The study and its findings
The paper, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports in March 2024, assembled contributions from 26 academics. Their collective analysis challenged the IOC’s 2021 framework on transgender athlete inclusion, arguing that the guidelines underestimated male-category-level advantages in strength, endurance, and lung capacity that persist after testosterone suppression. (Reuters)
Key findings highlight that males who have completed puberty often retain larger skeletal structure, higher lean muscle mass, greater cardiovascular capacity, and longer bone lever lengths. The paper asserts these traits confer a performance advantage in many women’s events, even when testosterone levels are reduced. One section reads: “Studies show that transgender women with suppressed testosterone retain muscle mass, strength, and other physical advantages compared to females; male performance advantage cannot be eliminated with testosterone suppression.” (Reuters)
Policy ripples in elite sport
These scientific conclusions have already influenced several sports governing bodies. For instance, World Athletics last year proposed stricter eligibility criteria for the female category, including cheek-swab SRY gene tests and removal of exceptions for athletes who experienced male puberty citing evidence this male-puberty advantage begins prior to testosterone suppression. (The Guardian)
The IOC itself is reported to be considering policy changes that could categorically bar athletes who have undergone male puberty from competing in the female category, a major shift from previous guidelines that focused primarily on testosterone levels. (Them)
Scientific debate and uncertainties
While the paper makes strong claims, the authors and other researchers emphasise that data remain limited. Previous reviews, such as one published in Sports Medicine, found insufficient evidence to state categorically that transgender women maintain a performance advantage post-transition. (Sports Medicine)
The 2023 review “Sex Differences and Athletic Performance” noted that while sex-based physiological differences exist, the literature on transgender athletes remains small and varied. (Frontiers in Sports and Active Living) The authors call for more longitudinal studies comparing pre- and post-transition metrics and tracking performance over time.
Implications for women’s sport
The central implication is this: if male-puberty advantages cannot be fully erased by hormone therapy, the integrity of the female competition category may be compromised. From a fairness perspective, the paper argues, sports must consider structural advantages, not only hormone levels.
Policy specifics matter. If an athlete has retained skeletal, cardiovascular, or muscular advantages from male puberty, simply matching testosterone thresholds may be insufficient. The result: some federations may adopt stricter rules or ban transgender women who have experienced male puberty from female competition entirely.
Inclusion vs fairness: the ethical tension
The issue drives a broader ethical debate between inclusion and fairness. Advocates for trans inclusion argue that sports also serve social, mental health, and human-rights functions, and that blanket bans risk discrimination. Others maintain that fairness for cisgender female athletes is equally critical and may require structural protections.
What to watch
- Whether the IOC formally adopts a ban on athletes who have undergone male puberty competing in the female category.
- How individual sports federations respond: some may accelerate rules aligned with the scientific paper’s findings.
- Further peer-reviewed studies measuring transgender athletes’ performance relative to cisgender female athletes over time.
- Legal and human-rights challenges: sports federations must balance fairness, inclusion, and non-discrimination in international law.
Conclusion
The scientific paper adds weight to calls for reform in how elite sport defines the female category. While it does not settle all questions, it underlines that biological advantages tied to male puberty may persist despite hormone-based transition. The challenge remains: crafting policy that upholds fairness for women while honouring the rights and dignity of transgender athletes. The coming months may mark a turning point for the Olympic movement and for women’s sport globally.
This article is provided by Fidelis News. Free to read, not free to make. Support independent journalism via Buy Me a Coffee.
Sources: Reuters, Science, Transgender Athletes and the Sex Category: Change in Competition Rules, Frontiers in Sports and Active Living.
Date: 11 November 2025 | By: Fidelis News Staff
