Addition of an Anabolic Steroid to Strength Training Promotes Muscle Strength in the Nonparetic Lower Limb of Poststroke Hemiplegia Patients

ABSTRACT

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°/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°/s, 120°/s, and 180°/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.

KEYWORDS: :

• Anabolic agents
• hemiplegia
• muscle strength
• rehabilitation
• stroke