Musculoskeletal Resiliency and Adaptation to Sex Steroid Suppression and Replacement During Multi-Stressor Training
Non-combat-related muscle, tendon and bone injuries are the most common injuries suffered by military personnel, particularly in new recruits. These injuries impact military readiness and are responsible for roughly 60% of limited duty days, 65% of soldiers who are unable to deploy, and nearly $500 million in medical cost to the government annually in the Army alone. Drug interventions must be studied and developed to prevent these negative outcomes and prepare military personnel for the demands of military service. At the current time, military leadership has identified critical gaps in understanding how to minimize these injuries and train soldiers with drug intervention serving among those gaps. The goal of this study is to determine how a hormonal intervention can change muscle, tendon, and bone function as well as physical and psychological performance in response to mental and physical stress. To do so, we will examine sex hormone (testosterone, estrogen) levels, muscle, tendon, and bone images, blood samples, and physical and mental performance. We will look at things like changes in hormone levels, chemicals released from active skeletal muscles, and your body composition. The results from this study will be used to improve physical readiness training in the military with the goal of reducing injuries.
• Age 18-40 years
• body mass index (BMI) 18-30 kg/m2
• weight stable (±10 lbs) in past 2 months
• takes part in moderate physical activity for at least 150 minutes/week
• currently free of upper or lower body /extremity injury or impairment
• able to commit to study duration
• agrees to adhere to study requirements
• not taking prescription medications or be willing to refrain from medication prior to and throughout the study period, unless approved by study physician
• in men, total testosterone concentration within normal physiological range (300-1000 ng/dL)
⁃ in women, eumenorrheic (cycles of 26-35 days) and not using hormonal contraceptives for previous 3 months