Body Composition In Males Research Articles

Effects of an Exercise Intervention on Body Composition in Older Adult Males Diagnosed with Parkinsons disease: A Brief Report

The investigation examined the value of a multifaceted exercise intervention on body composition and strength, in those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD). 8 males subjects diagnosed with PD (69.13 ± 6.20 years) completed a previously introduced, 8-week, 24-session exercise intervention. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated improvements in body composition and muscular strength following the exercise intervention. The data suggests the multifaceted exercise intervention is an effective tool for improving strength and body composition in males diagnosed with PD.

Effects of testosterone treatment on body composition in males with testosterone deficiency syndrome

Objective: We evaluated the safety of testosterone treatment and its efficacy on body composition in males with testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS) over 24 months.Methods: 50 males aged 50–65 years with TDS (Aging Males Symptoms Scale [AMS] > 26 and calculated free testosterone [cFT] 250 pmol/l) were administered 50 mg testosterone gel daily for one year. During the second year, patients received 1000 mg of testosterone undecanoate every 2–3 months. Outcome measures were clinical chemistry values and total testosterone; sex hormone-binding globulin and cFT, changes in AMS and International Prostate Symptom Score; and changes in body composition measured by dual-energy-x-ray absorptiometry.Results: There were no clinically significant changes in clinical chemistry safety parameters. There were significant improvements in both total and cFT and in AMS scores after three months (p < 0.001). Lean mass increased 2.35% at 12 months and 4.5% at 24 months, but proportionally more muscle mass was gained in arms and legs than in the trunk. Fat mass decreased 4.2% at 12 months and 9.1% at 24 months.Conclusions: Testosterone treatment in males with TDS leads to body changes affecting lean and fat mass with significant improvement in AMS scores, and has an excellent safety profile.

A comparative study on body composition of male and female national level sub-junior volleyball players

IntroductionBody composition is an important aspect of health for every individual. It influences sport performance to a great extent. There is almost no difference in body composition of males and...

Percentage extremity fat, but not percentage trunk fat, is lower in adolescent boys with anorexia nervosa than in healthy adolescents

Background:Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a condition of severe undernutrition associated with altered regional fat distribution in females. Although primarily a disease of females, AN is increasingly being recognized in males and is associated with hypogonadism. Testosterone is a major regulator of body composition in males, and testosterone administration in adults decreases visceral fat. However, the effect of low testosterone and other hormonal alterations on body composition in boys with AN is not known. Objective:We hypothesized that testosterone deficiency in boys with AN is associated with higher trunk fat, as opposed to extremity fat, compared with control subjects. Design:We assessed body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and measured fasting testosterone, estradiol, insulin- like growth factor-1, leptin, and active ghrelin concentrations in 15 boys with AN and in 15 control subjects of comparable maturity aged 12–19 y. Results:Fat and lean mass in AN boys was 69% and 86% of that in control subjects. Percentage extremity fat and extremity lean mass were lower in boys with AN (P = 0.003 and 0.0008); however, percentage trunk fat and the trunk to extremity fat ratio were higher after weight was adjusted for (P = 0.005 and 0.003). Testosterone concentrations were lower in boys with AN, and, on regression modeling, positively predicted percentage extremity lean mass and inversely predicted percentage trunk fat and trunk to extremity fat ratio. Other independent predictors of regional body composition were bone age and weight. Conclusions:In adolescent boys with AN, higher percentage trunk fat, higher trunk to extremity fat ratio, lower percentage extremity fat, and lower extremity lean mass (adjusted for weight) are related to the hypogonadal state.

Androgens and metabolic syndrome: Lessons from androgen receptor knock out (ARKO) mice

Testosterone (T) is an important factor for determining body composition in males. Abdominal obesity is inversely correlated with serum T levels in men, leading to greater mortality. Pathologically hypogonadal men also have a significantly higher fat mass, which is reversed by T administration. However, the mechanism for such anti-obesity effect of androgen has not been well clarified. Androgen receptor (AR) null male mice revealed late-onset obesity. Male ARKO mice were euphagic compared to the wild-type male controls, but also less dynamic and less oxygen consuming. Transcript profiling indicated that male ARKO mice had lower transcripts for the thermogenetic uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). We also found enhanced secretion of adiponectin, which is insulin-sensitizing, from adipose tissue in comparison to wild type, which might partly explain why the overall insulin sensitivity of male ARKO mice remained almost intact despite their apparent obesity. In addition, decreased lipolysis rather than increased lipid synthesis was observed, which might also account for the increased adiposity in male ARKO mice. The results revealed that AR plays important roles in male metabolism by affecting the energy balance, and is negative to both adiposity and insulin sensitivity.

Effects of abuse pattern of gestational toluene exposure on metabolism, feeding and body composition

Aims Inhalant abuse during pregnancy lowers birth weight and impedes early development. These studies explored the effects of brief, repeated, prenatal toluene exposures in pregnant female rats on body weight, metabolic rate, body composition, and food intake in their offspring. Method Rats were exposed to 0, 8000, 12,000, or 16,000 ppm of toluene twice daily for 15 min from gestational days 8 to 20. The effects of such exposures on post-weaning litter weights, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide output, and body fat content were determined in 2 cohorts ( n = 23, n = 24) of offspring. Food intakes and weight changes in response to 3 different diets (regular chow, purified diet, purified high fat diet) were examined in another cohort ( n = 24) from postnatal days 72 to116. Results Litter weights showed a significant linear decrease as a function of toluene dose. Offspring exposed to the 16,000 ppm toluene dose displayed statistically lower energy expenditures than control rats. Male rats exposed to 8000 or 16,000 ppm toluene had significantly greater percentage of body fat as well as total body fat than the other groups. Toluene also significantly suppressed weight gain over the time chow was consumed compared to the 0 ppm control group. Finally there were trends for a main effect of toluene dose on food intake during chow and during high fat diet consumption, with rats in the 12,000 ppm group consuming more than the 0 ppm group on both diets. Discussion These data suggest that, in addition to other previously documented abnormalities in neurological development and behavior, the physiological regulation of metabolism and body composition in males as well as food intake and weight gain in both sexes may be altered by prenatal exposure to toluene.

AKT1 Association with Body Composition

We previously reported that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the AKT1 gene in males was associated with body composition, which could have important implications for understanding the genetic underpinnings of diseases such as obesity and osteoporosis. Males homozygous for AKT1 G205T rare allele (TT) had larger bones and lower subcutaneous fat compared to males with the heterozygous or the wildtype alleles. However, these data were calculated from only one anatomical site, the upper arm. PURPOSE: We wanted to extend these findings using whole body assessment of bone and fat to determine if the AKT1 SNP was associated with total body composition in males and females. We hypothesized that individuals who possessed the rare allele of AKT1 G205T would have less total body fat tissue and greater bone density than individuals who possessed the wild type alleles of G205T. METHODS: Anthropometric measures of height, weight, arm circumference, and skinfolds were recorded. Body composition was performed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) that provided bone mineral density, fat free mass, percent tissue fat (%TF), and fat mass for total body and body regions (e.g. arms, legs). Genotyping was performed using a TaqMan allele discrimination assay that employed the 5' nuclease activity of Taq polymerase to detect a fluorescent reporter signal generated during PCR reactions. An ANOVA was used to detect significant differences between the genotypes and the dependent measures. RESULTS: Of the 127 subjects tested to date, 56.7% (n=72) were wild type (GG), 32.3% (n=41) were heterozygous (GT), and 11.0% (n=14) were homozygous for the rare allele (TT). Individuals who possessed the rare allele of AKT1 (GT and TT) demonstrated a trend for lower %TF in the arm (23.6 ± 1.5% (mean±SE)) compared to individuals with the wildtype alleles (GG =25.8 ± 1.3%) (p=.09). No significant differences were found between genotypes and dependent measures of total body composition or for any other body region. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate the AKT1 genotype in males and females is not associated with whole body composition measured by DEXA, but support previous work showing an association with body composition of the arm. This research was Supported by an ACSM Foundation Research Grant from the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation.

307 Altered body composition in males homozygous for the Delta F508 mutation

307 Altered body composition in males homozygous for the Delta F508 mutation

Genetic variation in fatty acid-binding protein-4 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ interactively influence insulin sensitivity and body composition in males

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are closely related, multifactorial metabolic conditions characterized by alterations in energy metabolism and glucose homeostasis, respectively. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that regulates genes involved in lipid and glucose homeostasis, including the adipocyte-specific fatty acid-binding protein (FABP4). In turn, FABP4 binds fatty acids and transports them to the nucleus where the FABP4/fatty acid complex activates PPARγ in a positive feedback loop. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the polymorphisms, FABP4-376 and PPARγ Pro12Ala, interactively influence insulin sensitivity and body composition in nondiabetic, Hispanic and non-Hispanic white males (n = 314) participating in the San Luis Valley Diabetes Study (SLVDS). Although the individual sites were not statistically significantly associated with any of the outcomes, we found statistically significant interaction terms in 2-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models for homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ( P = .014) and lean mass ( P = .019). While the PPARγ Pro12Ala site was the only statistically significant predictor of fat mass in the 2-way model ( P = .012), the FABP4 and PPARγ main effect terms individually became stronger when considered in one model compared with the analysis of each polymorphism separately. These findings provide evidence that FABP4 and PPARγ work together to influence a biologic pathway affecting insulin sensitivity and body composition, illustrating the importance of investigating the joint effect of genes in determining susceptibility for complex disease.

Synergistic effects of testosterone and growth hormone on protein metabolism and body composition in prepubertal boys

During human puberty there is a substantial increase in growth hormone (GH) and sex steroidal hormone concentrations, as well as in GH production rates and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) These studies were designed to investigate some of the interactions of testosterone (T) and GH in the metabolic changes of puberty. Ten boys with severe GH deficiency (GHD) were studied (mean age, 12.5 ± 0.5 years) using stable isotope infusions, indirect calorimetry, and body composition analysis. After the baseline study, they received 2 doses of T enanthate (50 to 75 mg, intramuscular [IM]), and they were studied again 4 weeks later. The boys were then begun on daily subcutaneous (SC) GH (0.3 mg/kg/wk), while T therapy was continued for another 4 weeks and the studies repeated a third time. The treatment order was randomized. Protein oxidation rates decreased after T alone (−28%, P < .01), decreasing further after combined T/GH treatment (−36% v baseline, P < .01). The nonoxidative leucine disposal (NOLD), a measure of whole body protein synthesis, increased significantly after combined T/GH regardless of treatment order. The combination of T/GH also resulted in greater changes in body composition than T alone, with comparable decreases in %FM and corresponding increases in fat free mass (FFM). Measures of carbohydrate (CHO) metabolism, including glucose production and oxidation rates, were unaffected by either T or T/GH combination. Plasma IGF-I concentrations increased after T treatment and even more after T/GH combination, regardless of the treatment order. In conclusion GH and T are synergistic on whole body protein anabolism and body composition in males, even at a young age, but the positive effects of T on protein anabolism and body composition appear to need a basal amount of GH for those effects to be observed. GH and T both potentiate the development of the full body composition and metabolic changes of puberty.

Effect of kidney transplantation on bone mass and body composition in males.

Bone loss is a frequent and well-known complication in the first months after renal transplantation, but there are no data considering body composition variables (bone, fat, and lean mass) together in transplant recipients. This prospective study investigated total body bone density, fat mass, and lean mass before and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months after renal transplantation in male patients who underwent hemodialysis. Twenty consecutive renal transplant male patients aged 23-64 years (mean, 40 years; median, 41 years) received one of two immunosuppressive therapies (cyclosporine+methylprednisolone, or cyclosporine+methylprednisolone+azathioprine). The bone, fat, and lean mass of the total body and its related subregions were assessed by means of dual X-ray photon absorptiometry. Mixed factorial analysis of variance for repeated measurements was used for the statistical analysis. During the 6 months after transplantation, there was a reduction in trabecular bone mass in the spine, ribs, and pelvis total body subregions; the reduction was statistically significant in the last two subregions. There was no statistically significant difference in the lean mass of the total body or its subregions over time, but there was a statistically significant increase in the fat mass of the total body and all of its subregions; the increase in total and trunk fat mass seemed to be greater in the patients not receiving azathioprine. Up to 6 months after renal transplantation in male patients who underwent hemodialysis, there is a marked increase in fat mass, a significant loss of trabecular bone mass, and no change in cortical bone and lean mass.

Effect of DHA-containing formula on growth of preterm infants to 59 weeks postmenstrual age.

Between May 1993, and September 1994, a randomized, blinded clinical trial was conducted to evaluate measures of growth and body composition in 63 (32 males; 31 females) healthy, low-birth-weight infants (940-2250 g) who were randomly assigned to an infant formula with docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n3, DHA, 0.2 wt%) from fish oil or to a control formula. A preterm formula with or without DHA was fed beginning at 7-10 days prior to hospital discharge through 43 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Then, from 43-59 weeks PMA, infants were fed a term infant formula with or without a corresponding amount of DHA. Growth (weight, length, head circumference), regional body fatness (triceps, subscapular, suprailiac skinfold thicknesses), circumferences (arm, abdominal, chest), and estimates of body composition determined by total body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) (fat-free mass [FFM]) were evaluated. Growth was slower in males fed the DHA formula. They had significantly (P < 0.05) smaller gains in weight, length, and head circumference between study enrollment to 59 weeks PMA than those fed the control formula. At 51 weeks PMA, males in the DHA group had significantly smaller head circumferences (P < 0.05) and lower FFM (P < 0.05). At 59 weeks PMA, males in the DHA group weighed less (P < 0.05), had shorter recumbent lengths (P < 0.01), smaller head circumferences (P < 0.05), and lower FFM (P < 0.01) than those fed the control formula. Energy intakes from formula (kcal/d), however, were lower at 51 weeks (P < 0.05) and 59 weeks (P < 0.05) PMA in males fed the DHA formula. Adjusted for body weight (kcal/kg/d), mean energy intakes from formula at 51 and 59 weeks PMA were not significantly different between feeding groups. The differences in recumbent length, head circumference, and FFM remained statistically significant after controlling for energy and protein intakes (P < 0.01). For all males, neither FFM nor total body fat (TBF), when expressed as a percentage of total body weight, differed significantly between feeding groups. Among females, there were no significant differences between the feeding groups in measures of growth, body composition, or energy intake. The results indicated that infant formula with fish oil containing DHA and EPA in a 5:1 ratio had a significant, negative effect on growth and body composition in males during the first 6 months of life. It is not clear why the growth deficits were limited to males and not females. The eicosanoids, bioactive metabolites of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, may mediate several important growth hormones. The present results do not support the addition of DHA alone in infant formulas. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 11:457-467, 1999. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Sex hormones, body composition and aging

In order to evaluate the role of sex hormones and aging on body composition in males, plasma testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol and sex hormone binding globulin as well as insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and insulin levels were determined in a group of 372 ambulant males, aged 20–85 years. In addition, these parameters were correlated with aging and body composition. Muscle mass decreased and fat mass increased significantly with age. Both age and free testosterone were independent determinants of fat mass. Abdominal fat was by far the most important determinant of free testosterone levels, gluteal fat contributing little to the free testosterone levels. The decrease of fat free mass was essentially correlated with age, the contribution of free testosterone levels being marginal. The ratio of subcutaneous to visceral fat decreased with age, independent of body mass index, free testosterone or estradiol levels. This suggests that, at a similar degree of obesity, the health hazards are more pronounced in elderly men.IGF-I levels correlated negatively with fat mass, but this correlation was lost after adjustment for age. The negative correlation of fat mass with (free) testosterone levels persisted after correction for IGF-I levels, suggesting that the decrease of free testosterone levels is an independent co-determinant of the age-associated increase in fat mass. Hence, it may be concluded that the age-associated decrease in androgen levels plays an important role in the changes in body composition, independent of the effect of age itself or the age-associated decrease in IGF-I levels.

Additive Effects of GH and Testosterone on the Anabolic Changes of Puberty: A Metabolic Study † 459

During human puberty there is a dramatic rise in GH sex steroids concentrations and in GH production rates and IGF-1. These studies were designed to investigate the relative contributions of testosterone (T) and GH on the metabolic changes of puberty. 6 boys with GH deficiency (defined as profound growth retardation (>-2.5 Height SDS), poor growth velocity and peak GH responses to secretagogues <7ng/ml) were studied (mean age: 12±0.7 yrs). Mean bone age at entry was: 10.4±0.8 yrs. After a weight maintenance diet for 3d prior to admission, patients were admitted to the Research Unit. The next a.m., after an overnight fast, whole body protein kinetics were studied using a stable isotope of leucine (13C-leu) for 4 hrs and frequent blood, breath and urine samples obtained as well as indirect calorimetry. Body composition was measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis(BIA), calipers and DEXA scan. After the baseline study (D1), the boys were begun on T enanthate, 50-75mg IM, dose repeated in 3w, and the study repeated identically within 4w of D1 (D2). After D2, the boys were begun on daily SQ injections of rhGH (Nutropin, Genentech) at 0.3mg/kg.w while T Rx was continued. After another 4w, studies were repeated a 3rd time(D3), each subject as their own control. Four patients have completed these studies thus far. Fat free mass (FFM) by BIA increased after T Rx (+5%), and +12% after T/GH Rx (p=0.002 vs D1), with a concomitant decrease in%FM after T Rx (-11%), with an even greater decline as compared to baseline on D3 (-25%, p=0.03). Rates of whole body proteolysis (Leucine Ra) did not change after T Rx (+2%) and increased +18% after T/GH Rx (p=0.08); leucine oxidation decreased on D2 (-28%, p=0.06), and declined even further after D3(-36%, p=0.02); and non-oxidative leucine disposal, a measure of protein synthesis, increased modestly on D2 (+10%), and +32% on D3 (p=0.03). These changes paralleled the decrease in protein oxidation rates on D2 (-31%, p=0.05), and even greater decline on D3 (-41%, p=0.014). Plasma IGF-1 concentrations increased significantly after T Rx (+70%) and even more after T/GH Rx (+182%, p=0.03). In summary: T and GH appear to have additive effects on body composition, protein anabolism and IGF-1 generation. In conclusion: Preliminary studies suggest that GH and T can independently affect body composition in males.

Seasonal and sex differences in the structure and chemical composition of adipose tissue in wild polar bears (Ursus maritimus)

Biopsy samples of adipose tissue from the upper thigh were collected in spring and in late summer/autumn from 370 wild polar bears (Ursus maritimus), including adult females with and without cubs, adult males and juveniles. Mean adipocyte volume was measured from all samples and chemical assays of the lipid, total protein and collagen were also performed on samples from 53 bears. Mean adipocyte volume was smaller in all specimens in spring than in late summer/autumn, but the differences were greatest for solitary adult females. The range of adipocyte volumes was much greater for adult females than for adult males, and in females only, mean adipocyte volume correlated significantly with total body mass. Therefore, adipocyte volume measurements from biopsy samples provide some information about fatness in adult females, but are worthless as an indicator of body composition in males and juveniles. In juveniles and females, but not adult males, the lipid content of the adipose tissue was up to 18% lower in autumn than in spring. The collagen content was significantly higher in autumn than in spring in all bears except females with cubs. We suggest that these differences in chemical composition arise from accumulation of water within and between the adipocytes, which would minimize tissue shrinkage, and from changes in the vascularization of the adipose tissue. These properties may be adaptations to rapid fattening and prolonged fasting and the sex differences may reflect the contrasting reproductive strategy of female and male polar bears.