Study Links Increased Muscle Mass With Androgen, Strength Training

Researchers at the University of Southern California released findings Thursday showing supplemental androgen can increase both strength and muscle mass when combined with strength training.

Supplemental androgen -- the male hormone testosterone -- when used alone, was found to increase lean body mass and strength increased proportionately with the amount of muscle added, said E. Todd Schroder of the Keck School of Medicine at USC.

When androgen therapy was used together with resistance training such as weight lifting, gains in strength far outpaced the amount of muscle that can be added with androgens alone, according to the study.

"The results of androgen therapy alone on muscle and strength are not necessarily bad, but they are not optimal," Schroeder said. "The men did improve their strength, but it was proportional to the muscle mass they added."

The researchers found androgen supplements were beneficial to more than the average bodybuilder.

The study examined both young men and seniors by following two groups: thirty three seniors ranging in their mid 60s to late 70s and 23 HIV-positive men in their early 30s to late 40s.

In both groups, androgen supplements without weight training increased both lean body mass and maximum strength with only modest gains, and muscle quality did not change since the increases were proportionate, Schroeder said.

Improved muscle quality occurs when each individual muscle cell packs a "bigger punch," he said.

"Not everyone can do resistance training, and a short course of androgens can help get people stronger and more functional," Schroeder said.

The results may help doctors battle the body wasting effects of HIV, and similar studies will be important for other types of patients who suffer from muscle loss and frailty from diseases such as cancer and renal failure.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.