Glycogen supercompensation is one of the adaptations induced by physical training. To potentiate this phenomenon, many athletes use supraphysiological doses of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of nandrolone and aerobic physical exercise in rats, on body weight, plasmatic triglycerides levels, blood glucose and glycogen content. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Sedentary + vehicle (SV), Trained + vehicle (TV), Sedentary + AAS (SAAS) and Trained + AAS (TAAS) (n = 7-14/group). They received i.m. injections of nandrolone or vehicle for 9 weeks, and during the same period trained rats were submitted to aerobic exercise. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey tests (p < 0.05). The groups SAAS, TV and TAAS presented lower body weight than the SV group (SAAS: 339 ± 10 = TV: 342 ± 14 = TAAS: 332 ± 6 < SV: 398 ± 9 g). Physical training significantly reduced plasmatic concentration of triglycerides [(TV: 46 ± 4 = TAAS: 44 ± 3) < (SV: 104 ± 1 = SAAS: 101 ± 6 mg/dL)] and of hepatic glycogen [(TV: 3,38 ± 0,57 = TAAS: 2,62 ± 0,34) < (SV: 4,95 ± 0,11 = SAAS: 4,43 ± 0,23 mg/100 mg)] and increased the cardiac glycogen concentration [(TV: 0,38 ± 0,04 = TAAS: 0,42 ± 0,03) > (SV: 0,2 ± 0,02 = SAAS: 0,21 ± 0,02 mg/100 mg)]. Blood glucose and soleus glycogen reserves remained unaltered. The use of supraphysiological doses of nandrolone did not potentiate any of the effects obtained in response to aerobic physical training.
Nandrolone; Aerobic exercise; Skeletal muscle
