HORMA (Hormonal Regulators of Muscle and Metabolism in Aging) Trial

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21059836

http://biomedgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/66A/1/122.full

Testosterone Threshold Levels and Lean Tissue Mass Targets Needed to Enhance

Skeletal Muscle Strength and Function: The HORMA Trial

Increases in total testosterone of 1046 ng/dL (95% confidence interval =

1040–1051) and 898 ng/dL (95% confidence interval = 892–904) were necessary to

achieve median increases in lean body mass of 1.5 kg and appendicular skeletal

muscle mass of 0.8 kg, respectively, which were required to significantly

enhance one-repetition maximum strength ( & #8805;30%). Co-treatment with rhGH

lowered the testosterone levels (quantified using liquid chromatography–tandem

mass spectrometry) necessary to reach these lean mass thresholds.

These represent conservative estimates because they include men whose

testosterone levels declined, as may occur during clinical treatment with

testosterone, and as such delineate target testosterone levels needed to

sufficiently enhance LBM and ASMM necessary to improve muscle strength and

physical function.

Our data may also help explain why some testosterone trials, which used

relatively low fixed doses of testosterone and achieved small (if any)

increments in testosterone levels, reported relatively modest LBM gains and

little or no change in muscle strength or physical function. Our data highlight

the need for dose titration to target testosterone levels in clinical trials of

testosterone for anabolic applications.

Question - If the levels in the study are correct doesn't that mean that we

should be aiming for total testosterone levels of 1000-1100 ng/dL??