Does Human Skeletal Muscle Possess an Epigenetic Memory of Testosterone?

Launched by NORWEGIAN SCHOOL OF SPORT SCIENCES · Jul 19, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether short-term treatment with testosterone, combined with or without resistance exercise training, can help older men’s muscles "remember" the benefits of testosterone in a way that leads to longer-lasting improvements in muscle health. The researchers want to see if giving testosterone for a short time can make it easier for participants to gain strength during follow-up training, even after stopping the testosterone treatment.

To be eligible for this study, participants must be sedentary males aged 55 to 70, with specific testosterone levels in the morning. They should not have any major health issues or be currently exercising regularly. If selected, participants will receive either testosterone or a placebo (a substance with no active effects) and will participate in resistance training. Throughout the trial, they will be monitored for their health and progress. This study is crucial for understanding how testosterone affects muscle health as men age.

Gender

MALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Sedentary males
• • 55-70 years old
• • Serum testosterone levels \>8 nmol/L measured in the morning
• • Without any known illness, disease or other conditions
• • Undergone screening through medical questionnaire, physical examination, routine blood tests and urine sample
• • Written informed consent received
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current or previous participation in a formal exercise regime
• • A BMI \< 18 or \> 30 kg·m2
• • Hypersensitivity to the study drug or to any of its constituents
• • Active cardiovascular disease: uncontrolled hypertension (BP \> 160/100 mmHg), angina, heart failure (class III/IV), arrhythmia, right to left cardiac shunt, recent cardiac event
• • Family history of early (\<55y) death from cardiovascular disease
• • Haematocrit \>50%
• • Malignancy
• • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) \>4 ng/mL
• • Lower urinary tract symptoms
• • Taking beta-adrenergic blocking agents, statins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• • Cerebrovascular disease: previous stroke, aneurysm (large vessel or intracranial), epilepsy
• • Respiratory diseases including: pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmanary disease (COPD), asthma, sleep apnoea
• • Metabolic disease: hyper and hypo parathyroidism, untreated hyper and hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, type 1 or 2 diabetes
• • Active inflammatory bowel or renal disease
• • Current or previous steroid treatment or hormone replacement therapy
• • Clotting dysfunction
• • Musculoskeletal or neurological disorders
• • Alcohol or drug abuse
• • Receiving oral anticoagulants
• • Serum testosterone levels above the reference range for 50 year olds (\>32 nmol/L) (Bjerner et al., 2009) measured in the morning 1