ACSM Updates Official Statement on Medical Care for Transgender Athletes
The American College of Sports Medicine issues an erratum to its landmark policy statement on transgender athlete care and sports inclusion.
Summary
The American College of Sports Medicine has published a correction to its Contemporary Issue Statement on the medical care of transgender athletes and related policy implications. This erratum, authored by a multidisciplinary team of sports medicine physicians, endocrinologists, and transgender health specialists, refines the original guidance document published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. The ACSM's statement addresses how clinicians should approach the care of transgender individuals who participate in competitive and recreational sport, integrating evidence on hormone therapy, physiological adaptation, and inclusive policy frameworks. Corrections of this nature are standard in academic publishing and signal that the underlying statement remains an active and evolving reference document for sports medicine professionals navigating a complex clinical and policy landscape.
Detailed Summary
The medical and sports science communities continue to grapple with how best to support transgender athletes while addressing questions of physiological fairness and inclusive participation. The American College of Sports Medicine, one of the most influential bodies in sports medicine globally, has taken a formal position on this issue through its Contemporary Issue Statement series — and this publication represents a correction to that foundational document.
The erratum was published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise in 2026 and corrects details in the original ACSM Contemporary Issue Statement on the medical care of transgender athletes and policy implications. Such corrections are a normal part of academic publishing and typically address errors in author listings, data, citations, or wording that could affect interpretation.
The original statement, authored by a multidisciplinary team including sports medicine physicians, endocrinologists, and transgender health specialists, was designed to provide clinicians with evidence-based guidance on caring for transgender athletes. Topics covered in such statements typically include the physiological effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on performance metrics, recommendations for inclusive sports policies, and frameworks for clinical decision-making.
For physicians and sports medicine professionals, ACSM position statements serve as critical benchmarks for clinical practice. An updated and corrected version ensures that practitioners are working from the most accurate available guidance when advising transgender patients who participate in sport at any level.
Caveats include that only the erratum abstract — not the full corrected statement — was available for review. The clinical implications of the specific correction made remain unclear without access to the full text. Readers are encouraged to consult the complete original statement alongside this erratum for comprehensive guidance.
Key Findings
- ACSM issued a formal correction to its Contemporary Issue Statement on transgender athlete medical care.
- The statement provides clinicians with evidence-based guidance on hormone therapy and sport participation.
- Multidisciplinary authorship includes endocrinology, sports medicine, and transgender health expertise.
- Errata signal ongoing refinement of guidance in a rapidly evolving clinical and policy area.
- Clinicians should reference the corrected statement when advising transgender patients in sport.
Methodology
This is an erratum notice, not a primary research study. It corrects a previously published Contemporary Issue Statement — a formal policy and clinical guidance document produced by the American College of Sports Medicine. The original statement was developed by a multidisciplinary expert panel.
Study Limitations
Only the erratum abstract was available for review; the nature and scope of the correction cannot be fully assessed without the complete text. The summary is based on the abstract only. The clinical significance of the specific correction is unknown without access to the original and revised statements.
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