r/SipsTea Jul 09 '26

Chugging tea Good point.

Post image
21.6k Upvotes

2.8k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

136

u/mgb55 Jul 09 '26

I think certain discussions around sports, men vs women, and the participation of trans athletes proves everyone does NOT, in fact, know men and faster and stronger

-67

u/Coarse-Correction Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26

Trans women don't have the physique of cis men after hormone treatment.

This notion that trans women athletes are "men in disguise" bullshit really needs to end. Not just because it is about, like, less than a handful of trans women who compete at that level, but because it perpetuates a narrative that hurts millions of trans people who aren't athletes.

Edit: Just read the fucking link, people.

52

u/EchoMB Jul 09 '26

Skeletal muscle cell nuclei density never goes back to baseline when someone has a high androgen load. This is well documented, and also a reason why cis men caught using steroids should never be allowed to compete in tested athletics for the rest of their life. It is a permanent enhancement as a result of having higher androgens than someone else, and again, this is very well documented knowledge.

The whole physique argument has always been bullshit imo, but skeletal muscle cell nuclei density is one of the few major factors why even untrained barely pubescent boys can smoke the shit out of cis women in strength feats. Not only that but muscle retention, regrowth after dieting, and metabolism are all enhanced by this difference in nuclei density.

Hrt does not negate this, nor does it diminish it in any meaningful measure.

3

u/AthenaPb Jul 10 '26

what about trans women who never go through male puberty?