NCT05964920

Does Human Skeletal Muscle Possess an Epigenetic Memory of Testosterone?

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2 / Phase 3
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 45 (actual)
• Sponsor: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences · Academic / Other
• Sex: Male
• Age: 55 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This project's primary aim of this double-blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled trial is to investigate whether short-term testosterone administration +/- resistance exercise training induces a muscle memory response that can lead to longer-lasting benefits in aged human skeletal muscle. The investigators will provide older men with the anabolic hormone, testosterone or placebo, with or without resistance training, followed by a period of testosterone abstinence and detraining, followed by a subsequent repeated period of resistance training (retraining). This will help determine if earlier encounters with short-term testosterone administration can be "remembered" and if adaptation to later retraining can be enhanced as a consequence of encountering testosterone earlier.

Conditions

• Healthy Aging
• Age-Related Sarcopenia
• Testosterone Deficiency

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Saline	Two placebo injections one at baseline and one week 3.
DRUG	Testosterone Undecanoate	Two testosterone undecanoate injections, 1000 mg/4 ml at baseline, 500 mg/2 ml at week 3.
DRUG	Saline + Resistance exercise training	Two placebo injections one at baseline and one week 3 and10 weeks of supervised, structured, progressive resistance training.
DRUG	Testosterone Undecanoate + Resistance exercise training	Two testosterone undecanoate injections, 1000 mg/4 ml at baseline, 500 mg/2 ml at week 3 and 10 weeks of supervised, structured, progressive resistance training.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-01
• Primary completion: 2025-12-22
• Completion: 2026-02-06
• First posted: 2023-07-28
• Last updated: 2026-03-06

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Norway