BIOLOGICAL SECTION   

Medicina dello Sport 1999 June;52(2):127-36

Copyright © 1999 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Modifications of the basal energy expenditure in power activity (bodybuilding)

Gravante G., Pomara F., Russo G., Truglio G., Angelomé C., Cernigliaro A.

Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi, Palermo

We compared anthropometric characteristics, body composition and metabolic parameters of a group of young bodybuilders with those of a sedentary group, to appraise the influence, in absolute and relative values, of the practise of bodybuilding on the basal metabolic rate (BMR).
Twenty-four adult healthy males participated to study: 8 sedentary and 16 bodybuilders. The bodybuilders were distributed in 2 groups relatively to use of anabolic-androgenic steroids.
Steroids users bodybuilders showed many analogies with sedentary group, while in steroids non users bodybuilders it appeared significant the positive action of the physical activity on the energetic basal expenditure and on the fat-free-mass and fat-mass ratio (FFM/FM).
It may be that an altered relationship between testosterone and cortisol induced, to middle and along term, from external exhibition of anabolic-androgenic steroids is the cause of these data.