Addition of an anabolic steroid to strength training promotes muscle strength in the nonparetic lower limb of poststroke hemiplegia patients.
In this prospective observer-blinded open-label nonrandomized controlled trial, 25 inpatients with hemiplegia 1-8 months after stroke were assigned to an anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS; n = 14) or a control (n = 11) group: the former received 100 mg metenolone enanthate by intramuscular injection once a week for 6 weeks along with rehabilitation therapy including muscle strength training of the nonparetic lower limb, which consisted of 100 repetitions of isokinetic reciprocal knee extension/flexion (60 degrees /s) on a dynamometer once a day for 5 days a week over 6 weeks, and the latter received rehabilitation therapy alone. The maximal peak torque of the nonparetic lower limb, including the isokinetic (60 degrees /s, 120 degrees /s, and 180 degrees /s), isotonic, and isometric muscle strength of knee extension/flexion, measured every 2 weeks, was compared with the baseline values. Significant increases in peak torque were seen at 2 weeks in 9 of the 10 conditions and at 6 weeks in 8 of the 10 conditions tested for the AAS group but in only 1 and 5 conditions for the control group, respectively. While no contraindications for AAS were encountered, the combination of AAS and muscle strength training tended to have a positive effect on muscle strength after stroke.
Shimodozono
Megumi
M
Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan. rihakoza@m2.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Kawahira
Kazumi
K
Ogata
Atsuko
A
Etoh
Seiji
S
Tanaka
Nobuyuki
N
D000368:Aged; D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000187:drug effects*; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D020521:Stroke / Q000503:physiopathology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
D045930:Anabolic Agents