Exercise and Serum Androgens in Women

In brief: Little information exists about the role of androgens in women relative to exercise, particularly resistance exercise. This study examines (1) the effect of a ten-week hydraulic resistance exercise program on serum androgen levels, strength, and lean body weight and (2) the relationship of serum androgen levels to strength and lean body weight before and after the ten-week program. Thirteen experimental and five control subjects, all college women, participated. Training did not result in significant increases in androgen hormones, although there were significant gains in strength. In addition, no significant correlations were observed between testosterone, androstenedione, or sex hormone-binding globulin and pretraining and delta values of strength or lean body weight (r <.49).