Oxandrolone Use Causes Dyslipidemia in Resistance-Training Practitioners

Abstract Background: Several of young people and adults make use of anabolic-androgenic steroid (ASS), during resistance training. The purposes of this study were to compare blood and salivary parameters in male resistance training practitioners using oxandrolone with reference values, compare these with a control group in triplicate, and correlate salivary and blood parameters. Methods: In this prospective analytical observational study, blood, saliva, and urine were collected from 22 individuals (oxandrolone group, OG, n = 11 and control group, CG, n = 11), and these samples were analyzed at three time points: before oxandrolone consumption, at cessation of oxandrolone use, and three months after cessation of oxandrolone use. Complete blood count, lipid profile, metabolites, and enzymes were analyzed from blood samples. Salivary flow, pH, triglycerides, urea, aspartate transaminase, alanine aminotransferase, phosphorus, and calcium were analyzed from saliva. Urinalysis was used for toxicological screening. Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square analysis, Friedman's ANOVA, and Spearman’s correlation tests were performed, with significance p<0.05. Results: We found a lower blood HDL level for the oxandrolone group (24 mg/dL) compared with the reference value ​​(>40 mg/dL), as soon as its use ceased, and a return to normal HDL levels three months later (49 mg/dL, >40 mg/dL). We also found higher triglyceride level (177 mg/dL) in this group compared with the reference value (<175 mg/dL), three months after use. Conclusions: Although there were distinct differences between the groups and timepoints, these did not show clinical relevance, as they were within typical values. There was no correlation between blood and salivary parameters, but it is clear that oxandrolone causes changes in the lipid profile of users.