Physiological Reports, 2021 · DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15089 · Published: October 6, 2021
This study looked at how reducing the dose of testosterone, combined with electrical stimulation and resistance training, affected body composition, metabolism, and muscle function in men with spinal cord injuries. Thirteen men with spinal cord injuries were monitored for 16 weeks after they had either testosterone treatment alone or testosterone treatment with resistance training. The group that received both testosterone and resistance training underwent a program with gradually decreasing ankle weights and a low dose of testosterone.
Highlighting the need to develop rehabilitation or pharmaceutical approaches to attenuate the loss in lean mass during a detraining program.
Findings are helpful for designing future studies to explore the effects of longitudinal trials via applications of telehealth technology to ensure adherence and long-term compliance.
The research suggests that reducing testosterone and NMES-RT doses may lead to loss of muscle size and decreased BMR and increase VAT in SCI patients, and interventions are necessary to retain gains.