IOC framework unfair for female athletes, says new research

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) must reconsider its framework on fairness, inclusion and non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sex variations as it does not protect fairness for female athletes, new research says. 

The IOC framework is not consistent with existing scientific and medical evidence and its recommendations need to be reviewed, according to a new paper published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports. 

The IOC framework, which was published in 2021, aims to ensure a level playing field for athletes. It was introduced following the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, which saw the first ever openly transgender Olympians competing.  

But with the Olympic and Paralympic Games set to take place in Paris this year, a group of scientists say the evidence shows female athletes can be at a disadvantage. 

Alun Williams, Professor of Sport and Exercise Genomics at the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport and co-author of the study, said: “The IOC’s framework says there is no ‘presumption of advantage’, but the data shows there is physical development that takes place during adolescence in males that gives clear athletic advantages. 

“Male development during puberty results in large performance advantages in athletic sports, such as larger muscle mass, heart size, lung capacity, bones, strength, and circulating haemoglobin, which are integral to sports performance. 

“It is this exposure to testosterone during adolescent development, not the level of testosterone present in adults, that underpins the difference between the male and female categories, and there is currently no evidence that testosterone suppression in transgender women can reverse male development and negate these advantages.” 

The new research uses data to demonstrate the difference between male and female physiology, showing, for example, up to 50% greater upper body muscle mass and 40% greater lower body muscle mass in males, in addition to skeletal differences such as 9% greater height and 14% greater shoulder width, together with significantly greater VO2 max, speed and strength. 

Professor Williams said: “Everyone should be welcome in sports, regardless of gender identity. However, competing in opposite-sex categories conflicts with the established human right of female athletes to non-discrimination and equal opportunities based on sex.  

“It’s important that female athletes, as primary stakeholders, are consulted and supported to contribute to the conversation, and that we continue to research this area to support all athletes.” 

The paper was co-authored by researchers from universities from the UK, Europe, Canada and the US. 

Prof Williams’ expertise lie in the upper limits of human physical performance, and he has published widely on genetic profiles of elite athletes, the improvements in performance that can result from physical training, and sport-related injuries, as well as ethical and policy issues. He has also appeared as an expert at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for Caster Semenya in her legal battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). 

Through its Institute of Sport, Manchester Metropolitan is working on an IOC-funded project, led by Dr Georgina Stebbings with co-investigators Prof Williams and Dr Dale Read, to further understanding of hormones in sport.