Lack of correlation between 6-month fluctuations in habitual physical activity and testosterone - Concentrations in elderly subjects

Background. To examine the influence of long-term modifications in habitual physical activity (PA) on resting total testosterone (TT) concentrations i n a group of healthy elderly subjects. Methods, Experimental design: 6-month prospective study, Setting: Universit y research departments of exercise physiology and geriatric medicine, Parti cipants: thirty-one independent, community dwelling elderly subjects (16 me n and 15 women) aged >65 who volunteered to participate, Interventions: cor relational study, Measures: PA was evaluated by a questionnaire QAPSE (Ques tionnaire d'Activite Physique Saint-Etienne) and expressed by two activity indices: mean habitual daily energy expenditure (MHDEE) and daily energy ex penditure corresponding to leisure time sports activities (Sports activity index), Results. Changes in resting TT concentrations were not related to changes i n MHDEE (r=-0.28; p=0.30 and r=-0.001; p=0.99) and Sports activity (r=-0.30 ; p=0.26 and r=-0,05; p=0.85) in men and women, respectively. Similarly, re lative(%) changes in TT were not related to relative changes in MHDEE (r=-0 ,16; p=0.55 and r=0.17; p=0.55) and Sports activity (r=-0.11; p=0.68 and r= 0.02; p=0.92), Conclusions, The levels of habitual PA undertaken by an average senior do n ot appear to affect TT levels in healthy active elderly men and women.