Modulation of exercise training related adaptation of body composition and regulatory pathways by anabolic steroids.

Anabolic steroids have a long history of abuse in amateur and professional athletics. However, their interaction with training and the resulting effects on body composition and tissue adaptation, relying on a concert of factors and pathways, remain under investigation. This study aims at investigating the changes of body composition and the expression of selected genes and pathways essential for this adaptation process.

An isoflavone enriched diet increases skeletal muscle adaptation in response to physical activity in ovariectomized rats.

Scope: This study was to investigate anabolic adaptation of skeletal muscle in response to an isoflavone (ISO) enriched diet, training and their combinations in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Methods And Results: Female Wistar rats were sedentary, performed treadmill uphill running, received ISOs, or a combination of ISOs and running after ovariectomy. Body weight was increased by OVX.

Combined effects of androgen anabolic steroids and physical activity on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Analysing effects of pharmaceutical substances and training on feedback mechanisms of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis may be helpful to quantify the benefit of strategies preventing loss of muscle mass, and in the fight against doping. In this study we analysed combined effects of anabolic steroids and training on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Therefore intact male Wistar rats were dose-dependently treated with metandienone, estradienedione and the selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) S-1.

Estrogen receptor beta is involved in skeletal muscle hypertrophy induced by the phytoecdysteroid ecdysterone.

Scope: The phytoectysteroid ecdysterone (Ecdy) was reported to stimulate protein synthesis and enhance physical performance. The aim of this study was to investigate underlying molecular mechanisms particularly the role of ER beta (ERβ).

Results: In male rats, Ecdy treatment increased muscle fiber size, serum IGF-1 increased, and corticosteron and 17β-estradiol (E2) decreased.