Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone Changes in Male and Female Athletes Relative to Training Status
File version
Accepted Manuscript (AM)
Author(s)
Crewther, Blair T
Kilduff, Liam P
Agnew, Linda L
Fourie, Phillip
Serpell, Benjamin G
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract
Purpose: To establish if training volume was associated with androgen baselines and androgen responsiveness to acute exercise. Methods: During a “high-volume” training phase, 28 cyclists (14 men and 14 women) undertook oxygen-uptake and maximal-work-capacity testing. Two days later, they completed a repeat-sprint protocol, which was repeated 3 weeks later during a “low-volume” phase. Blood and saliva samples were collected before and after (+5 and +60 min) the repeat-sprint protocol. Blood was assayed for total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and saliva, for testosterone and DHT. Results: Pretrial TT, FT, and DHT concentration was greater for males (P < .001, large effect size differences), and in both genders TT, DHT, and saliva for DHT was higher during high-volume loading (moderate to large effect size). Area-under-the-curve analysis revealed larger TT, FT, and DHT responses to the repeat-sprint protocol among females, and high-volume training was linked to larger TT, DHT, and saliva for DHT responses (moderate to large effect size). Baseline TT and FT correlated with oxygen uptake and work capacity in both genders (P < .05). Conclusion: DHT showed no acute performance correlation but was responsive to volume of training, particularly in females. This work informs on timelines and relationships of androgenic biomarkers in males and females across different training loads, adding to the complexity that should be considered in interpretation thereof. The authors speculate that testosterone may impact acute performance via behavioral mechanisms of motivation and attention; DHT, via training volume-induced androgenic promotion, may facilitate long-term adaptive changes, especially for females.
Journal Title
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance
Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume
16
Issue
11
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
© 2021 Human Kinetics. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal website for access to the definitive, published version.
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject
Sports science and exercise
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Persistent link to this record
Citation
Cook, CJ; Crewther, BT; Kilduff, LP; Agnew, LL; Fourie, P; Serpell, BG, Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone Changes in Male and Female Athletes Relative to Training Status, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2021, 16 (11), pp. 1700-1706