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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
09:29
Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics
Published on: December 14, 2011
12.9K
Muscle Strength and Power Changes With Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy
Mathilde Kamp Nørlund1, Jakob Lindberg Nielsen2,3, Marianne Skovsager Andersen1
1Department of Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Andrology
|October 11, 2025
Summary
Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) impacts upper body muscle strength differently. Masculinizing GAHT increases strength, while feminizing GAHT decreases both strength and power within one year.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Sports Medicine
- Transgender Health
Background:
- Androgen receptors are key in upper body muscle development.
- Limited research exists on muscle strength and power changes during gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT).
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate changes in maximal upper body muscle strength and power after one year of GAHT.
Main Methods:
- A clinical prospective study involving 92 transgender individuals (transmasculine and transfeminine).
- Measurements of maximal muscle strength and power using low-row dynamic testing.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess body composition.
Main Results:
- Transmasculine individuals showed significant increases in maximal muscle strength (12% in treatment-naïve, 7% in ongoing treatment) but no change in power.
- Muscle strength gains were associated with increased lean mass and younger age at GAHT initiation.
- Transfeminine individuals experienced decreases in maximal muscle strength (23% in treatment-naïve, 8% in ongoing treatment) and power (23% in treatment-naïve).
Conclusions:
- Masculinizing GAHT enhances upper body muscle strength, but not power.
- Feminizing GAHT leads to reductions in both upper body muscle strength and power within the first year.
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