Before the Indiana Fever won their fifth straight game, WNBA poster child Caitlin Clark secured her fourth career triple double and Sophie Cunningham shot lights out from three, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White said pregame that she wasn’t “educated enough from a scientific standpoint” to answer whether males should compete in women’s sports.
Though I doubt this is truly the case, here’s a brief overview of what decades of biological and sports science have consistently shown, Coach White.
Following puberty, males develop physical advantages that are well-documented in medical and sports performance research. Those differences don’t disappear simply because someone decides to identify as a female.
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Among the most significant biological differences are:
- Males develop significantly more lean muscle mass than females.
- On average, men possess 30%-40% greater upper-body strength.
- After puberty, males typically have testosterone levels many times higher than females, leading to greater muscle development, increased power output, and faster strength gains.
- Men generally have higher bone density, wider shoulders and longer reach.
- Males typically have a greater proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers, improving explosive speed and power.
- Men generally have larger hearts and lungs, contributing to greater aerobic capacity.
- On average, males have a 10%-12% higher hemoglobin concentration, allowing more oxygen to be delivered throughout the body during exercise.
- Males typically possess a 15%-20% higher VO₂ max than similarly trained females, improving endurance performance.
- Men generally have larger and stronger tendons and ligaments, allowing them to generate and withstand greater force.
- Males usually have larger skeletal frames, including bigger hands and feet, which can improve leverage and force production in many sports.
- Greater absolute muscle mass and anaerobic power also contribute to faster recovery between repeated maximal efforts.
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These biological differences are the reason men’s and women’s sports have separate competitive categories in the first place. They are why Title IX exists.
Across nearly every measurable athletic performance, from sprinting and jumping to throwing, lifting and endurance, elite male performances exceed elite female performances.
This isn’t about effort, dedication, or the talent of female athletes. Women have earned opportunities to compete on a level playing field against other women.
If the concern is fairness and safety in women’s sports, then biological sex matters.
Coach White, you said you weren’t sufficiently informed on the science. Now you are.
The conversation should be grounded in biology, physiology and competitive fairness. Admitting the fact that men in women’s sports is not safe, nor fair, is not “transphobia” or “hate.” It’s actually one of the best ways to show you actually support the first letter of the WNBA acronym.
The science and biology behind this issue has been well established since the dawn of time.
Now is the time for women in the WNBA to stop politically pandering, gaslighting conservatives who have helped make the league notable, and potentially profitable, for the first time in its 30-year history.
Coach White, it’s time to join forces with your player, Sophie Cunningham. It’s time to proclaim common sense and stand up for the many women and girls affected by men in their sports.
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