Long-Term Testosterone Supplementation in Older Men Attenuates Age-Related Decline in Aerobic Capacity
Context - Testosterone increases skeletal muscle mass and strength, but long-term effects of testosterone supplementation on aerobic capacity (V˙O2peak) in healthy older men with low testosterone have not been evaluated.
Objective - To determine the effects of testosterone supplementation on V˙O2peak during incremental cycle ergometry.
Design - Testosterone’s Effects on Atherosclerosis Progression in Aging Men trial: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.
Setting - Exercise physiology laboratory.
Participants - Healthy men aged ≥60y with total testosterone levels of 100-400 ng/dL (3.5 – 13.9 nmol/L) or free testosterone <50 pg/mL (174 pmol/L).
Interventions - Randomization to 1% transdermal testosterone gel adjusted to achieve serum levels of 500-950 ng/dL or placebo applied daily for 3 years.
Main Outcome Measures - Change in V˙O2peak .
Results - Mean (SD) baseline V˙O2peak was 24.2 (5.2) and 23.6 (5.6) mL/kg/min for testosterone and placebo respectively.
V˙O2peak did not change in testosterone treated men but fell significantly in men receiving placebo [average 3-year decrease = 0.88 mL/kg/min (95% CI = -1.39 to 0.38) (P=0.035)]; the difference in change in V˙O2peak between groups was significant, [average 3-year difference = 0.91 mL/kg/min (95% CI = 0.010 to 0.122)], P=0.008. The 1 g/dL mean increase in hemoglobin (P<0.001) was significantly associated with changes in V˙O2peak in testosterone-treated men.
Conclusion - The mean 3-year change in V˙O2peak was significantly less in testosterone-treated men than in men receiving placebo and was associated with increases in hemoglobin.
The difference in V˙O2peak change between groups may indicate attenuation of its expected age-related decline; the clinical meaningfulness of the modest treatment effect remains to be determined.
Traustadóttir T, Harman SM, Tsitouras P, et al. Long-Term Testosterone Supplementation in Older Men Attenuates Age-Related Decline in Aerobic Capacity. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2018. Long-Term Testosterone Supplementation in Older Men Attenuates Age-Related Decline in Aerobic Capacity | The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism | Oxford Academic
Context - Testosterone increases skeletal muscle mass and strength, but long-term effects of testosterone supplementation on aerobic capacity (V˙O2peak) in healthy older men with low testosterone have not been evaluated.
Objective - To determine the effects of testosterone supplementation on V˙O2peak during incremental cycle ergometry.
Design - Testosterone’s Effects on Atherosclerosis Progression in Aging Men trial: double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial.
Setting - Exercise physiology laboratory.
Participants - Healthy men aged ≥60y with total testosterone levels of 100-400 ng/dL (3.5 – 13.9 nmol/L) or free testosterone <50 pg/mL (174 pmol/L).
Interventions - Randomization to 1% transdermal testosterone gel adjusted to achieve serum levels of 500-950 ng/dL or placebo applied daily for 3 years.
Main Outcome Measures - Change in V˙O2peak .
Results - Mean (SD) baseline V˙O2peak was 24.2 (5.2) and 23.6 (5.6) mL/kg/min for testosterone and placebo respectively.
V˙O2peak did not change in testosterone treated men but fell significantly in men receiving placebo [average 3-year decrease = 0.88 mL/kg/min (95% CI = -1.39 to 0.38) (P=0.035)]; the difference in change in V˙O2peak between groups was significant, [average 3-year difference = 0.91 mL/kg/min (95% CI = 0.010 to 0.122)], P=0.008. The 1 g/dL mean increase in hemoglobin (P<0.001) was significantly associated with changes in V˙O2peak in testosterone-treated men.
Conclusion - The mean 3-year change in V˙O2peak was significantly less in testosterone-treated men than in men receiving placebo and was associated with increases in hemoglobin.
The difference in V˙O2peak change between groups may indicate attenuation of its expected age-related decline; the clinical meaningfulness of the modest treatment effect remains to be determined.
Traustadóttir T, Harman SM, Tsitouras P, et al. Long-Term Testosterone Supplementation in Older Men Attenuates Age-Related Decline in Aerobic Capacity. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2018. Long-Term Testosterone Supplementation in Older Men Attenuates Age-Related Decline in Aerobic Capacity | The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism | Oxford Academic