The research was funded by the International Olympic Committee.

The landmark study reported that physically active transgender women performed worse in certain cardiovascular tests and had less lower-body strength than their (sic) cisgender females. Researchers at the University of Brighton also found that, contrary to previous claims, transgender women’s bone density was equivalent to cisgender females. Bone density is linked to muscle strength.

Some transgender women have explained that feminizing HRT often results in testosterone levels that are lower than the average cisgender woman.

It is the first research relating to the issue that the IOC has funded and is the first scientific study of “athletes” (sic) who have undergone gender-affirming hormone therapy.

The authors, who included a member of the IOC’s medical and scientific commission, said their results showed that sporting federations should caution against banning transgender women from the female category without further research into their individual sports.

But what about banning cissexual women? They clearly have a biological advantage…

A 2009 study found that women with PCOS are over-represented in sports.

However, hyperandrogenism in women athletes is instead usually used as an excuse to ban black athletes from professional sports.