Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40976810›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2026

Androgen levels of premenopausal females are not observably associated with body composition and physical performance, but may interact with hormonal contraceptive use.

Vera M Salmi, Jari E Karppinen, Terhi T Piltonen, Heikki Kyröläinen, Juha J Hulmi, Johanna K Ihalainen, Ritva S Mikkonen

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In one paragraph

Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Vera M SalmiFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. vera.m.salmi@jyu.fi.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8529-8824
Jari E KarppinenObesity Research Unit, Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Terhi T PiltonenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
Heikki KyröläinenFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Juha J HulmiFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Johanna K IhalainenFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Ritva S MikkonenFaculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.

Funding

Opetus- ja Kulttuuriministeriö OKM/101/626/2021Opetus- ja Kulttuuriministeriö OKM/21/626/2021Opetus- ja Kulttuuriministeriö OKM/82/626/2022Urheiluopistosäätiö 20190110
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe role of androgen levels in physiological characteristics of females is poorly understood, as previous research has mainly focused on testosterone and females not using hormonal contraceptives. Our aim was to investigate whether androgen levels are associated with body composition and physical performance in recreationally active and trained premenopausal females.

methodsThe study examined two phases of the menstrual/combined oral contraceptive (COC) cycle of healthy eumenorrheic (EUM) and COC using females (age 19-35 years, n = 83). Total and free serum testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA-sulfate, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were analyzed. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the associations between androgen levels and fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), counter movement jump (CMJ), maximal isometric force production, and aerobic capacity (

resultsNone of the measured androgens were significantly associated with body composition or physical performance outcomes in the pooled sample. However, significant androgen-COC-use interactions indicated that the associations between DHEA and FFM (β = 0.23, p = 0.017), SHBG and FFM-FM-adjusted CMJ (β = 0.72, p = 0.041), and total testosterone and unadjusted

conclusionSerum androgen levels were not robustly associated with body composition or physical performance outcomes in healthy, recreationally active and trained premenopausal females. Hormonal contraceptive status may attenuate the associations between androgens and performance, driven potentially by FFM and individuals with high androgen levels.

Indexed as

AndrogensBody CompositionContraceptives, Oral, HormonalPhysical Functional PerformancePremenopauseAdultContraceptives, Oral, CombinedFemaleHumansSex Hormone-Binding GlobulinTestosteroneYoung AdultAndrogensContraceptives, Oral, CombinedContraceptives, Oral, HormonalSex Hormone-Binding GlobulinTestosteroneAndrogensCombined oral contraceptivesEumenorrheicFemale physiologyTestosterone

Identifiers

PMID40976810
PMCPMC13171943

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.