Effects of testosterone treatment on body fat and lean mass in obese men on a hypocaloric diet: A randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Whether testosterone treatment has benefits on body composition over and above caloric restriction in men is unknown. We hypothesised that testosterone treatment augments diet-induced loss of fat mass and prevents loss of muscle mass. Methods: We conducted a randomised double-blind, parallel, placebo controlled trial at a tertiary referral centre. A total of 100 obese men (body mass index ≥ 30kg/m2) with a total testosterone level of or below 12nmol/L and a median age of 53years (interquartile range 47-60) receiving 10weeks of a very low energy diet (VLED) followed by 46weeks of weight maintenance were randomly assigned at baseline to 56weeks of 10-weekly intramuscular testostero..