PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of site-specific measures of muscle density by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in monitoring changes in muscle mass accompanying treatment with anabolic stimuli. METHODS: Twenty-three HIV-positive men were randomly assigned to receive nandrolone decanoate alone or in combination with progressive resistance training three times per week. Muscles of the right thigh were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DXA slice analysis at baseline and at week 12. Leg press strength was determined by the one-repetition maximum method. RESULTS: Leg press strength increased significantly by 18.8 +/- 4.1% in the nandrolone-only group (p = 0.001) and 53.2 +/- 7.0% in the nandrolone plus progressive resistance training group (p = 0.01). Significant within-group changes in muscle were demonstrable by MRI cross-sectional area and DXA slice analysis. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was able to detect greater changes in lower extremity lean mass occurring with the combination intervention (12.9 +/- 1.4% versus 7.7 +/- 1.3% in the nandrolone-only group, p = 0.028). Additionally, changes in thigh lean mass by DXA slice analysis were significantly correlated with changes in leg press strength (r = 0.72, p = 0.013) in the combination therapy group but not with nandrolone alone. CONCLUSION: Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry detected greater change in local lean mass with the combination of nandrolone plus progressive resistance training, and these changes were associated with changes in muscular strength. This suggests that DXA slice analysis may be a sensitive method for discerning changes in muscle mass accompanying anabolic therapies.

There are no links to full text for this record.