LAUSR

It is well established that testosterone administration induces muscle fiber hypertrophy and myonuclear addition in men, however, it remains to be determined whether similar morphological adaptations can be achieved in women. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate whether exogenously administered testosterone alters muscle fiber morphology in skeletal muscle of young healthy, physically active women. Thirty-five young (20-35 years), recreationally trained women were randomly assigned to either 10-week testosterone administration (10 mg daily) or placebo. Before and after the intervention, hormone concentrations and body composition were assessed, and muscle biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis. Fiber type composition, fiber size, satellite cell- and myonuclei content, as well as muscle capillarization were assessed in a fiber type-specific manner using immunohistochemistry. Following the intervention, testosterone administration elevated serum testosterone concentration (5.1-fold increase, P=0.001), and induced significant accretion of total lean mass (+1.9%, P=0.002) and leg lean mass (+2.4%, P=0.001). On the muscle fiber level, testosterone increased mixed fiber cross-sectional area (+8.2%, P=0.001), an effect primarily driven by increases in type II fiber size (9.2%, P=0.006). Whereas myonuclei content remained unchanged, a numerical increase (+30.8%) was found for satellite cells associated with type II fibers in the Testosterone group. In parallel with fiber hypertrophy, testosterone significantly increased capillary contacts (+7.5%, P=0.015) and capillary-to-fiber ratio (+9.2%, P=0.001) in type II muscle fibers. The current study provides novel insight into fiber type-specific adaptations present already after 10 weeks of only moderately elevated testosterone levels in women.