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

Purpose The 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. Methods The 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, dehydroepiandrosterone, 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 ( V̇O V ˙ O 2peak ). Results None 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 V̇O V ˙ O 2peak ( β = − 0.27, p = 0.016) differed according to COC-use. A significant association between SHBG and CMJ ( β = − 0.66, p = 0.047) and total testosterone and V̇ V ˙ O 2peak ( β = 0.15, p = 0.044) was found only in EUM; however, adjustment for FFM eliminated this statistical significance. Conclusion Serum 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.