Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2007; 28(12): 1070-1076
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-965003
Nutrition

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Dietary Intake, Serum Hormones, Muscle Mass and Strength During Strength Training in 49 - 73-Year-Old Men

J. Sallinen1 , A. Pakarinen2 , M. Fogelholm3 , M. Alen4 , J. S. Volek5 , W. J. Kraemer5 , K. Häkkinen1
  • 1Department of Biology of Physical Activity and Neuromuscular Research Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
  • 2Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • 3The UKK Institute, Tampere, Finland
  • 4Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
  • 5Department of Kinesiology, Human Performance Laboratory, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision November 14, 2006

Publication Date:
11 May 2007 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Effects of dietary intake on serum hormones, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and strength during strength training were studied in two groups of men: 1) strength training + nutritional counseling (n = 22, 59.1 ± 6.1 yrs), and 2) strength training (n = 23, 58.5 ± 7.1 yrs). Both groups performed strength training twice a week for 21 weeks. Counseling increased carbohydrate (p < 0.01) and fiber intake (p < 0.001) and polyunsaturated/saturated fat-ratio (p < 0.05) and decreased fat intake (p < 0.01). Muscle strength and CSA increased by 16 - 20 % and by 5.4 - 5.9 % in both groups (p < 0.001). Changes in protein content of diet correlated with the changes in the acute postexercise concentrations of total (r = 0.64, p < 0.01) and free testosterone (r = 0.54, p < 0.05) after training in the counseling group. Moreover, changes in the free testosterone responses to heavy-resistance exercise correlated with the increases in the muscle CSA (r = 0.52, p < 0.05) in the counseling group. Serum basal testosterone/sex hormone-binding globulin-ratios correlated with the body mass normalized energy (kJ/kg: r = 0.54, p < 0.001), protein (g/kg: r = 0.42, p < 0.01) and fat (g/kg: r = 0.51, p < 0.01) intake in all participants during the training. The data indicate that protein and fat intake may influence serum testosterone concentrations and that the changes in exercise-induced testosterone responses may contribute to muscle mass development during strength training.

Key words

nutrition - testosterone - exercise - elderly

References

  • 1 Ahtiainen J P, Pakarinen A, Alen M, Kraemer W J, Häkkinen K. Muscle hypertrophy, hormonal adaptations and strength development during strength training in strength-trained and untrained men.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2003;  89 555-563
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Bemelmans W J, Broer J, Hulshof K F, Siero F W, May J F, Meyboom-de Jong B. Long-term effects of nutritional group education for persons at high cardiovascular risk.  Eur J Public Health. 2004;  14 240-245
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Campbell W W, Trappe T A, Jozsi A C, Kruskall L J, Wolfe R R, Evans W J. Dietary protein adequacy and lower body versus whole body resistive training in older humans.  J Physiol. 2002;  15 631-642
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Campbell W W, Geik R A. Nutritional considerations for the older athlete.  Nutrition. 2004;  20 603-608
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Chandler R M, Byrne H K, Patterson J G, Ivy J L. Dietary supplements affect the anabolic hormones after weight-training exercise.  J Appl Physiol. 1994;  76 839-845
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Dorgan J F, Judd J T, Longcope C, Brown C, Schatzkin A, Clevidence B A, Campbell W S, Nair P P, Franz C, Kahle L, Taylor P R. Effects of dietary fat and fiber on plasma and urine androgens in men: a controlled feeding study.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1996;  64 850-855
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Frontera W R, Meredith C N, O'Reilly K P, Knuttgen H G, Evans W J. Strength conditioning in older men: skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improved function.  J Appl Physiol. 1988;  64 1038-1044
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Hughes V A, Frontera W R, Wood M, Evans W J, Dallal G E, Roubenoff R, Fiatarone Singh M A. Longitudinal muscle strength changes in older adults: influence of muscle mass, physical activity, and health.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2001;  56 B209-B217
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Häkkinen K, Kallinen M, Izquierdo M, Jokelainen K, Lassila H, Mälkiä E, Kraemer W J, Newton R U, Alen M. Changes in agonist-antagonist EMG, muscle CSA, and force during strength training in middle-aged and older people.  J Appl Physiol. 1998;  84 1341-1349
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Häkkinen K, Pakarinen A, Kraemer W J, Newton R U, Alen M. Basal concentrations and acute responses of serum hormones and strength development during heavy resistance training in middle-aged and elderly men and women.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;  55 B95-B105
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Häkkinen K, Pakarinen A, Kraemer W J, Häkkinen A, Valkeinen H, Alen M. Selective muscle hypertrophy, changes in EMG and force, and serum hormones during strength training in older women.  J Appl Physiol. 2001;  91 569-580
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Häkkinen K, Kraemer W J, Pakarinen A, Triplett-McBride T, McBride J M, Häkkinen A, Alen M, McGuigan M R, Bronks R, Newton R U. Effects of heavy resistance/power training on maximal strength, muscle morphology, and hormonal response patterns in 60 - 75-year-old men and women.  Can J Appl Physiol. 2002;  27 213-231
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Kamel H K. Sarcopenia and aging.  Nutr Rev. 2003;  61 157-167
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Koopman R, Wagenmakers A J, Manders R J, Zorenc A H, Senden J M, Gorselink M, Keizer H A, van Loon L J. The combined ingestion of protein and free leucine with carbohydrate increases post-exercise muscle protein synthesis in vivo in male subjects.  Am J Physiol. 2004;  288 E645-E653
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Kraemer W J, Volek J S, Bush J A, Putukian M, Sebastianelli W J. Hormonal responses to consecutive days of heavy-resistance exercise with or without nutritional supplementation.  J Appl Physiol. 1998;  85 1544-1555
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Kraemer W J, Häkkinen K, Newton R U, Nindl B C, Volek J S, McCormick M, Gotshalk L A, Gordon S E, Fleck S J, Campbell W W, Putukian M, Evans W J. Effects of heavy-resistance training on hormonal response patterns in younger vs. older men.  J Appl Physiol. 1999;  87 982-992
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Lamberts S W, van den Beld A W, van der Lely A J. The endocrinology of aging.  Science. 1997;  17 419-424
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Longcope C, Feldman H A, McKinlay J B, Araujo A B. Diet and sex hormone-binding globulin.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000;  85 293-296
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Meredith C N, Frontera W R, O'Reilly K P, Evans W J. Body composition in elderly men: effect of dietary modification during strength training.  J Am Ger Soc. 1992;  40 155-162
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Nordic Council of Ministers .4th Edition of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations. Nord, 2004: 013 (http://www.norden.org/pub/sk/showpub.asp?pubnr=2004:013) 2004
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 21 Rantanen T, Guralnik J M, Foley D, Masaki K, Leveille S, Curb J D, White L. Midlife hand grip strength as a predictor of old age disability.  JAMA. 1999;  281 558-560
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Rantanen T, Harris T, Leveille S G, Visser M, Foley D, Masaki K, Guralnik J M. Muscle strength and body mass index as long-term predictors of mortality in initially healthy men.  J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000;  55 M168-M173
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Roy T A, Blackman M R, Harman S M, Tobin J D, Schrager M, Metter E J. Interrelationships of serum testosterone and free testosterone index with FFM and strength in aging men.  Am J Physiol. 2002;  283 E284-E294
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Sallinen J, Pakarinen A, Ahtiainen J, Kraemer W J, Volek J S, Häkkinen K. Relationship between diet and serum anabolic hormone responses to heavy resistance exercise in strength athletes and physically active males.  Int J Sports Med. 2004;  25 627-633
    Thieme ConnectPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Tipton K D, Rasmussen B B, Miller S L, Wolf S E, Owens-Stovall S K, Petrini B E, Wolfe R R. Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise.  Am J Physiol. 2001;  281 E197-E206
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Ukkola O, Gagnon J, Rankinen T, Thompson P A, Hong Y, Leon A S, Rao D C, Skinner J S, Wilmore J H, Bouchard C. Age, body mass index, race and other determinants of steroid hormone variability: the HERITAGE Family Study.  Eur J Endocrinol. 2001;  145 1-9
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Volek J S. Influence of nutrition on responses to resistance training.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004;  36 689-696
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Wang C, Catlin D H, Starcevic B, Heber D, Ambler C, Berman N, Lucas G, Leung A, Schramm K, Lee P W, Hull L, Swerdloff R S. Low-fat high-fiber diet decreased serum and urine androgens in men.  J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;  90 3550-3559
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar

Dr., M. Sc. (Nutrition) Janne Sallinen

Department of Biology of Physical Activity and Neuromuscular Research Center
University of Jyväskylä

P.O. Box 35

40014 University of Jyväskylä

Finland

Fax: + 35 81 42 60 20 71

Email: janne.sallinen@sport.jyu.fi