ORIGINAL ARTICLE  BODY COMPOSITION, NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2019 May;59(5):808-16

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.18.08845-X

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Short-term DHEA administration in recreational athletes: impact on food intake, segmental body composition and adipokines

Nicolas GRAVISSE ^{1, 2} ✉, Nancy VIBAREL-REBOT ^{1, 2}, Corinne BUISSON ³, Clotilde LE TIEC ⁴, Carole CASTANIER ^{1, 2}, Manh-Cuong DO ^{1, 2}, Olivier GAGEY ^{1, 2}, Michel AUDRAN ³, Katia COLLOMP ^{1, 2, 3}

¹ Laboratory of Complexity, Innovation, Physical Activity, and Sports (CIAMS), Paris Sud-Paris Saclay University, Paris, France; ² Laboratory of Complexity, Innovation, Physical Activity, and Sports (CIAMS), University of Orléans, Orléans, France; ³ Department of Analysis, Fench Agency of Anti-Doping Control (AFLD), Châtenay-Malabry, France; ⁴ Service of Pharmacy, Bicêtre Hospital, Paris, France

BACKGROUND: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) administration is potentially therapeutic because it has been shown to decrease fat mass and adipokines and improve eating and mood disturbances. However, its impact on these parameters has never been investigated in a young healthy population. This study therefore sought to determine whether short-term DHEA administration would alter food intake, segmental body composition, adipokine secretion and mood in young healthy male and female volunteers with regular sport practice.
METHODS: Following a double-blind and randomized protocol, 20 young healthy recreational athletes (10 men and 10 women) received treatment with either oral placebo or DHEA (100 mg/day for 4 weeks). Body weight, segmental body composition and adipokines (i.e., leptin, adiponectin and resistin) were determined before and at the end of each treatment. In parallel, spontaneous food intake was assessed at the end of each treatment, and mood was assessed before and at the end of treatment with the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS).
RESULTS: Body weight and segmental body composition showed no significant change in the men or women. Similarly, no change in adipokine secretion was found after DHEA administration. Total food intake was not affected by DHEA in any subject, despite an increase in fat intake by male subjects under DHEA (P<0.05). Positive and negative affect were not altered.
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, in contrast to pathological populations, a young healthy population of men and women was not significantly affected by short-term DHEA administration with regard to total food intake, segmental body composition, adipokines or mood.

KEY WORDS: Dehydroepiandrosterone - Body weight - Leptin - Adiponectin - Resistin