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Essay / Transgender Athletes: Navigating the World of Sports Healthy competition was of the utmost importance to me. I always enthusiastically participated in swim meets, field hockey tournaments, track meets, or intense games of kick the can in the backyard. The last time I was home, an interesting topic came up at dinner when my mother brought up an article she had read about marathon runner Paula Radcliff. Radcliffe has the world's fastest marathon time and is a highly respected and celebrated British athlete. At the last Boston Marathon, transgender-identifying athletes (no body changes) were allowed to compete in the women's category. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay This announcement sparked debate over whether transgender runners were gaining easier access to running due to an unfair biological advantage. This is something Radcliffe spoke about since transgender athletes qualifying their race times qualified them for the women's race category, but were not fast enough to qualify for the men's category. Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Radcliffe said transgender athletes enjoy "certain advantages that women will never get". This story made my family wonder: Is it fair for transgender athletes to compete in women's sports? I'm going to try to get to the bottom of this by exploring three different transgender athletes and their perspectives on being transgender athletes, but before we explore these different athletes, I think it's important to really understand the difference between men and women. reach their potential in sport. Genetic and hormonal differences give men an advantage because they generally allow them to have better strength, acceleration and speed. Although these genetic and hormonal differences seem drastic, they are often exaggerated. When it actually comes to body chemistry, there are a few key factors to consider. The first is cardiovascular fitness. Cardiovascular fitness is measured by how well a person's oxygen intake is transported throughout the body. Studies have been done that show that male athletes have a higher oxygen carrying capacity than women. This fact allows men to achieve full exaltation in what they do more quickly than women. This is due to lower hemoglobin levels and generally smaller body size, as oxygen consumption is directly related to body size and mass. Next, strength plays a role in the difference between men and women athletically. Males have a higher muscle mass to body weight ratio, which makes them stronger and allows for greater speed. On average, women have only two-thirds the strength of men. This is a genetic factor and not the fact that women now work so hard. Keep in mind that women's muscles aren't as strong, it's just difficult for women to have less body fat relative to their weight. Bones and ligaments also vary from man to man, as men generally have longer bones. Having longer bones gives a clear advantage in sports because they offermore muscle surface area and more leverage. This gives men advantages in many sports, especially those that involve kicking or throwing. Like the muscles in men's bodies, their ligaments are generally stronger and less relaxed than those of women. The next factor is endurance. Endurance is primarily identified by a body's efficiency in converting calories consumed into energy for use in the body and is an area of sport where women have the advantage and compete in the same category as men. Women are more efficient at converting glycogen into energy rather than calories. Glycogen is the energy your body uses when glucose levels are low. This proves why women do particularly well in long-distance running and why ultra-long-distance running is generally mixed. These factors do not include mention of hormones that affect the male body and level the playing field. After puberty, a man's body goes through many physical changes. Men's hormone levels are typically 10 to 15 times higher than women's. While there are few studies on how athletes' bodies are affected by taking hormones, marathon runner Joanna Harper provides insight into the statistics about her body during her transition. Transgender Athlete Perspective The first transgender athlete I will discuss is Canadian cyclist Evelyn. Sifton. In 2017, Sifton fought his way to a third-place finish in his first fixed equipment review in Montreal. It was said to be a very proud moment for her, although she felt a general sense of dread. She felt tired of standing on the podium due to the oppression against transgender athletes from other competitors or fans of the sport. Also during a recent triathlon, she said she received transphobic comments. She said transgender athletes are criticized regardless of their performance. “If we win a race, we have an “unfair advantage”; If we lose a race, it’s because we didn’t train hard enough,” she said in an interview with Men’s Health Magazine. Even though there has been so much empowerment among transgender people and their growing community, it is unfortunate that there is still transphobic behavior in sport. Regarding the rules in Canada regarding transgender athletes in cycling, there will be changes and the rules regarding transgender athletes are changing. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) will require half the amount of testosterone currently allowed. The amount of testosterone will drop from 10 nmol/L to 5 nmol/L. I think the implication of this rule is somewhat vital for fair competition. The genetic makeup of men is different from that of women. The next transgender athlete I'll talk about is Terry Miller, a 16-year-old transgender athlete who competes on his high school's girls' trsack team. His participation and success in the sport sparked conversations within the local community. Terry placed first in the 100-meter race at the open state finals in June. She also won first prize in the 200 meters. She explains how, in ninth grade, she thought it would be more appropriate to compete on the girls' team because she identifies as a woman. She began hormone treatment, but the local governing body for interscholastic sports was asked to allow students to participate on teams based on the athletes' choice to identify themselves. Males gain some biological advantages over females, but use 2020, 2020
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