Androgen therapy improves muscle mass and strength but not muscle quality: results from two studies

• Published in: American journal of physiology: endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 285; no. 1; pp. E16 - E24
• Main Authors: Schroeder, E. Todd, Terk, Michael, Sattler, Fred R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.2003
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anabolic Agents - adverse effects; Anabolic Agents - therapeutic use; Androgens - adverse effects; Androgens - therapeutic use; Body Composition - drug effects; HIV Seropositivity - pathology; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscle, Skeletal - growth & development; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Nandrolone - adverse effects; Nandrolone - analogs & derivatives; Nandrolone - therapeutic use; Organ Size - drug effects; Oxandrolone - adverse effects; Oxandrolone - therapeutic use; Physical Fitness; Prospective Studies
• ISSN: 0193-1849; 1522-1555
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00032.2003

1 Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and 2 Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, and 3 Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033 Submitted 22 January 2003 ; accepted in final form 3 March 2003 The relationship of strength to muscle area was used to assess change in muscle quality after anabolic interventions. Study 1 : asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus-positive men (39 ± 9 yr) were randomized to nandrolone (600 mg/wk) ± resistance training (RT). Study 2 : older healthy men (72 ± 5 yr) were randomized to oxandrolone (20 mg/day) or placebo. Maximum voluntary strength was determined by the 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) method for leg press, flexion and extension, and cross-sectional area of leg muscles by MRI. From study week 0 to study week 12 , muscle quality was unchanged with nandrolone, oxandrolone, or oxandrolone placebo, respectively, for total thigh muscles (1.23 ± 0.012 vs. 1.27 ± 0.29 kg/cm 2 ; 9.0 ± 1.1 vs. 8.9 ± 1.2 N/cm 2 ; 8.9 ± 1.2 vs. 8.9 ± 1.9 N/cm 2 ) and hamstrings (0.41 ± 0.08 vs. 0.43 ± 0.07 kg/cm 2 ; 0.90 ± 0.14 vs. 0.95 ± 0.016 N/cm 2 ; 0.94 ± 0.23 vs. 0.93 ± 0.21 N/cm 2 ). Lower-extremity 1-RM strength increased several times greater with RT+nandrolone (51–63% increases) than with nandrolone alone (4.7–16%), despite similar increases in muscle area; therefore, muscle quality increased from 1.13 ± 0.17 to 1.51 ± 0.18 kg/cm 2 (+36 ± 19%; P < 0.001) for total thigh muscle, 0.37 ± 0.10 to 0.53 ± 0.08 kg/cm 2 (+49 ± 39%; P < 0.001) for hamstrings, and 0.73 ± 0.19 to 1.07 ± 0.16 kg/cm 2 (+55 ± 36%; P < 0.001) for quadriceps. Thus androgen therapy alone did not improve muscle quality, but the addition of RT to nandrolone produced substantive improvements. nandrolone decanoate; oxandrolone; resistance training; magnetic resonance imaging Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: F. Sattler, Rand Schrader Clinic, Rm. 351, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (E-mail: fsattler{at}usc.edu ).