Dieli-Conwright, C. M., Schroeder, E. T., Wang, Y., Binder, E., Castaneda-Sceppa, C., Yarasheski, K., Bhasin, S., Azen, S. P., & Sattler, F. R. (2008). Muscle quality following testosterone and/or growth hormone administration. ACSM 55th Annual Meeting Indianapolis, Presentation Number, 2480.

This study tested the hypothesis that there would be no change in muscle quality with testosterone administration because of the principle that "strength increases are proportional to increases in muscle mass". The effects of testosterone with or without recombinant human growth hormone were evaluated on muscle quality in the lower extremity of older men (N = 61). A two-tiered, factorial, randomized, multicenter study was used to evaluate the effects of 16 weeks of testosterone administration (5 or 10 g/day) and recombinant human growth hormone (0, 3, or 5 mg/kg/d) administration in men of ~65 years of age. Maximum voluntary strength was determined for 1-RM for the leg press and leg flexion and extension. The volumes of the leg muscles were determined by MRI at baseline and week 17. Muscle quality was determined on a relative basis by the ratio of % change in 1-RM strength divided by % change in muscle volume.

Muscle quality was not significantly different for any comparison between and within the six study groups, indicating that different dose levels of testosterone and recombinant human growth hormone did not increase muscle quality.

Implication. Muscle quality does not change noticeably upon the administration of testosterone and/or recombinant human growth hormone.

Return to Table of Contents for this issue.