Effects of an oral androgen on muscle and metabolism in older, community-dwelling men

Abstract

To determine whether oxymetholone increases lean body mass (LBM) and skeletal muscle strength in older persons, 31 men 65–80 yr of age were randomized to placebo ( group 1) or 50 mg ( group 2) or 100 mg ( group 3) daily for 12 wk. For the three groups, total LBM increased by 0.0 ± 0.6, 3.3 ± 1.2 ( P < 0.001), and 4.2 ± 2.4 kg ( P < 0.001), respectively. Trunk fat decreased by 0.2 ± 0.4, 1.7 ± 1.0 ( P = 0.018), and 2.2 ± 0.9 kg ( P= 0.005) in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Relative increases in 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength for biaxial chest press of 8.2 ± 9.2 and 13.9 ± 8.1% in the two active treatment groups were significantly different from the change (−0.8 ± 4.3%) for the placebo group ( P < 0.03). For lat pull-down, 1-RM changed by −0.6 ± 8.3, 8.8 ± 15.1, and 18.4 ± 21.0% for the groups, respectively (1-way ANOVA, P = 0.019). The pattern of changes among the groups for LBM and upper-body strength suggested that changes might be related to dose. Alanine aminotransferase increased by 72 ± 67 U/l in group 3 ( P < 0.001), and HDL-cholesterol decreased by −19 ± 9 and −23 ± 18 mg/dl in groups 2 and 3, respectively ( P = 0.04 and P = 0.008). Thus oxymetholone improved LBM and maximal voluntary muscle strength and decreased fat mass in older men.