Investigator team
The cardiopulmonary and strength analysis in gender transition (ChAnGe) project was conceived and is coordinated by Dr Marco Vecchiato, a specialist in Sports and Exercise Medicine. The study is conducted at the University Hospital of Padova, Italy, within the Sports and Exercise Medicine Division. Recruitment of participants who are about to initiate gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is facilitated by the endocrinology unit, under the supervision of Professor Andrea Garolla, with the clinical support of endocrinology resident Dr Alberto Scala.
In carrying out the cardiopulmonary, metabolic and imaging assessments, Dr Vecchiato is assisted by Sports and Exercise Medicine residents Dr Giulio Slanzi and Dr Adalberto Codognola, as well as medical graduate student Dr Sofia Valentina Dainese, who is completing her thesis within the project. The Sports Medicine Centre hosting the functional assessments is directed by Professor Andrea Ermolao. The team is inherently multidisciplinary, and many contributions are provided on a voluntary basis, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing knowledge in this underexplored field.
Study population
The study population consists of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals about to initiate GAHT, alongside cisgender controls matched by sex assigned at birth. Since November 2024, 16 TGD participants (10 TGD men and 6 TGD women) and 16 cisgender controls (10 women, 6 men) have been enrolled into the study.
TGD individuals remain considerably under-represented in sport and exercise medicine research. The majority of existing studies on TGD athletes are limited in size, cross sectional in design and often fail to capture functional and cardiometabolic changes during medical transition.1–4 Recent reviews have highlighted that transgender individuals are systematically excluded or under-represented in performance and exercise physiology research, which creates large knowledge gaps regarding both health outcomes and sport participation.5 Beyond this, several studies document significant barriers to engaging in physical activity among TGD individuals, including lack of …
