NUTRITION FOR TRANS ATHLETES, PT 1
NUTRITION FOR TRANS ATHLETES, PT 1:
The Gap in Guidance & Why Binary Norms Don’t Cut It
When it comes to nutrition guidance for transgender individuals, especially athletes, there’s a significant and concerning gap. Most mainstream sports nutrition resources assume a cisgender audience, leaving transgender athletes to piece together advice that doesn’t reflect their physiology, goals, or lived experiences. This oversight can leave trans individuals feeling unseen, confused, or pressured to follow guidance that doesn’t actually fit their needs.
Current research confirms this lack of direction. A 2020 study by Dr. Whitney Linsenmeyer, Dr. Theresa Drallmeier, and Dr. Michael Thomure, for instance, explicitly found that “no standards of care exist to inform clinicians on nutrition assessment methods for transgender and gender non-conforming patients.” They write: “Clinicians may opt to use the values related to a patient’s gender identity, may individualize nutrition care based on the patient’s stage of medical transition, or may utilize a range of values where appropriate.”
These broad recommendations, coupled with insufficient ongoing research, mean transgender athletes often lack the clear, supportive guidance they deserve. Even the seemingly neutral language we use in nutrition (what’s assumed to be “normal” or “standard”) can unintentionally exclude or alienate trans individuals. Building truly inclusive and individualized care requires us to rethink these foundational assumptions.
WHY BINARY NUTRITION GUIDELINES FALL SHORT
Most traditional nutrition recommendations, including calorie ranges, vitamin needs, or protein targets, are rigidly divided into “male” or “female” categories. This binary approach leaves anyone outside the definitions with generic or often inaccurate guidance, particularly when they’re trying to fuel effectively for sport or use common nutrition tracking tools (apps, online calculators, etc.).
Let’s say someone is on testosterone and building muscle mass. Their calorie and protein needs are going to look very different from someone not on hormones, even if they share the same weight or height. Or consider someone who’s menstruating: they may have increased iron needs, regardless of gender identity.
The point is: binary labels don’t capture the whole picture.
Beyond macronutrient and micronutrient needs, body composition assessments can be misleading or even distressing when interpreted through a cisgender-centric lens. When you add the pervasive influence of diet culture, it's easy to see how traditional advice simply doesn't fit the reality of many transgender athletes.
A PERSONALIZED APPROACH TO NUTRITION FOR TRANS ATHLETES
We can (and must!) move beyond binary nutrition guidelines. A truly personalized approach looks at more than sex or gender. Instead, it accounts for:
Muscle mass and body composition;
Activity level and training volume;
Dieting history or signs of metabolic adaptation;
Hormone therapy (HRT) status and duration.
In the next article, we’ll walk through the core nutrition principles that apply to all athletes and how to tailor them to support your performance, your recovery, and your identity.
>> Next up in Part 2: Creating a Personalized Approach to Your Nutrition
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