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Adaptions and Resiliency to Multi-Stressor OpeRations

Musculoskeletal Resiliency and Adaptation to Sex Steroid Suppression and Replacement During Multi-Stressor Training

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06455969
Acronym
ARMOR
Enrollment
120
Registered
2024-06-13
Start date
2024-07-15
Completion date
2027-08-01
Last updated
2026-08-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hormonal Contraception, Hypogonadism, Musculoskeletal Injury

Keywords

Military, Multi-stressor Training, Tendon, Muscle, Bone

Brief summary

Non-combat-related muscle, tendon and bone injuries are the most common injuries suffered by military personnel, particularly in new recruits. These injuries impact military readiness and are responsible for roughly 60% of limited duty days, 65% of soldiers who are unable to deploy, and nearly $500 million in medical cost to the government annually in the Army alone. Drug interventions must be studied and developed to prevent these negative outcomes and prepare military personnel for the demands of military service. At the current time, military leadership has identified critical gaps in understanding how to minimize these injuries and train soldiers with drug intervention serving among those gaps. The goal of this study is to determine how a hormonal intervention can change muscle, tendon, and bone function as well as physical and psychological performance in response to mental and physical stress. To do so, we will examine sex hormone (testosterone, estrogen) levels, muscle, tendon, and bone images, blood samples, and physical and mental performance. We will look at things like changes in hormone levels, chemicals released from active skeletal muscles, and your body composition. The results from this study will be used to improve physical readiness training in the military with the goal of reducing injuries.

Detailed description

Suppression of the reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is a common physiological response to strenuous military training and can be difficult to replicate in simulated environments. Additionally, whether HPG suppression (through pharmacological suppression or hormonal contraceptive use) contributes to the physiological changes, performance decrements, and high MSK injury risk associated with multi-stressor military training is unknown. Thus, we will 1) utilize pharmacological inhibition of the HPG axis to test if testosterone replacement in men will mitigate injury risk and performance decrements following military-relevant multi-stressor training and 2) investigate how hormonal contraceptive use in women may impact these outcomes. This project aims to deliver a state-of-the-art evaluation of male and female adaptive responses to multi-stressor training and evidence-based guidance for the safe and ethical use of exogenous hormone replacement as a MSK injury mitigation solution during multi-stressor training and operations.

Interventions

Goserelin acetate (Zoladex) is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH). GnRH agonists induce a transient increase in sex hormone concentrations, but subsequently inhibit gonadotropin secretion and the production of testosterone in men and estrogen in women. An equilibration period will occur to allow steroid concentrations to reduce.

OTHERMulti-Stressor Training

A 4-week physical training program that mimics military training.

DRUGTestosterone gel (AndroGel 5g)

Male subjects will be randomly assigned to receive a topical testosterone gel (5g dose).

DRUGTestosterone gel (AndroGel 1.25g)

Male subjects will be randomly assigned to receive a topical testosterone gel (1.25g dose).

Sponsors

Bradley Nindl
Lead SponsorOTHER
U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
CollaboratorFED

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

1. Age 18-40 years 2. body mass index (BMI) 18-30 kg/m2 3. weight stable (±10 lbs) in past 2 months 4. takes part in moderate physical activity for at least 150 minutes/week 5. currently free of upper or lower body /extremity injury or impairment 6. able to commit to study duration 7. agrees to adhere to study requirements 8. not taking prescription medications or be willing to refrain from medication prior to and throughout the study period, unless approved by study physician 9. in women, eumenorrheic (cycles of 26-35 days) OR using monophasic oral contraceptive pills with norethindrone acetate (e.g., first generation progestin) for previous 3 months 1\) Current smoker 2) current clinical diagnosis of an eating disorder 3) use of medication incompatible with measurement of reproductive and metabolic hormones or which may interfere with any of the study outcomes; with the exception of approved contraceptives for the contraceptive STRESS \& CONTROL groups 4) current oligo/amenorrhea in women 5) any metabolic or endocrine disease 6) has been diagnosed with a medical condition, physical or psychological, that currently prevents potential subjects from exercising 7) currently pregnant or becomes pregnant during the study 8) history of heart condition OR high blood pressure 9) treating physician requires subject participates in medically supervised physical activity only 10) history of drug addiction, or regular use of recreational drugs 11) currently undergoing treatment for or have a history of mental health conditions 12) Current diagnoses of disorders known to affect bone metabolism including hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, osteomalacia, Cushing's, diabetes mellitus or renal insufficiency 13) Current use of medications known to affect bone metabolism including estrogens, androgens, anti-estrogens, bisphosphonates (oral bisphosphonates within one year of the baseline visit or IV bisphosphonates within three years of the baseline visit), calcitonin, fluoride, oral or inhaled glucocorticoids, suppressive doses of thyroxine, lithium, pharmacological doses of vitamin D (greater than 2000 IU/day), anti-convulsants, depot medroxyprogesterone within 6 months; with the exception of approved contraceptives for the contraceptive STRESS \& CONTROL groups 14) History of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or clotting disorders. 15) History of stroke or myocardial infarction 16) Fracture within the last 6 months. 17) Systolic blood pressure \> 160 or diastolic blood pressure \> 95 18) Active substance abuse 19) History of hereditary angioedema 20) History of chest pain at rest, during daily activities of living, or when performing physical activity 21) Musculoskeletal injury removing subject from physical activity for more than a month within the past 2 years 22) Recreational drug use more than 2 times per month in each of the previous 6 months 23) Self-reported vision is worse than 20/20. 24) Personal history or history of a first-degree relative with breast cancer 25) Participated and taken investigational drug in any other clinical trial (including bioequivalence study) within six months prior to study drug administration 26) Diagnosed with eating disorder 27) Have food allergies, intolerance, restriction, or special diet needs 28) History of endometriosis 29) Current diagnosis of reproductive health issues, such as ovarian cysts, PCOS, pelvic lesions, undiagnosed ovarian enlargement 30) Have undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding 31) Currently breastfeeding or within 2 months after stopping breastfeeding 32) Frequent headaches accompanied by vision changes (indicative of possible pituitary pathology) For SUPPRESS and REPLACE: 1-32 listed above 33) PSA \>3 ng/mL) 34) Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D \< 20 ng/mL 35) Thyroid dysfunction 36) Serum creatinine \> 2 mg/dL 37) Personal history or history of a first-degree relative with breast cancer 38) Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \> 2x the upper limit of normal 39) Serum bilirubin \> 2 mg/dL 40) Serum alkaline phosphatase \> 150 U/L 41) Plasma hemoglobin \< 10 gm/dL 42) Hematocrit \> 50 43) In men, Serum testosterone level \< 270 or \> 1070 ng/dL (\< 9 or \> 37 nmol/ L) 44) Triglycerides \> 150 fasting

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
Biomechanical: Quadriceps Muscle Echointensity, change from baseline and throughout training, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Body composition: Lean mass, change from baseline, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Body Composition: Fat mass, change from baseline, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Body Composition: Body mass, change from baseline and throughout training, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Body Composition: Body Fat Percentage, change from baseline, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biochemical: Bone turnover markers (CTx + P1NP), change from baseline, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biochemical: Sex steroid hormones (Testosterone, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin, Estradiol), change from baseline and throughout training, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biomechanical: Tendon Cross-Sectional Area, change from baseline and throughout training, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biomechanical: Tendon Shear Wave Elastography, change from baseline and throughout training, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biomechanical: Tendon Thickness, change from baseline and throughout training, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biomechanical: Quadriceps Muscle Cross-sectional Area, change from baseline and throughout training, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Bone microarchitecture: High Resolution- peripheral Computed Tomography, change from baseline, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biochemical: Cell culture, extracellular vesicles, micro- RNAs, change from baseline and throughout study, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biochemical: Measures of inflammation (IL6, IL-1B, TNFa, CRP), change from baseline and throughout study, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks
Biochemical: Measures of anabolism (Growth Hormone, Insulin-like growth factor-1), change from baseline and throughout study, meanThrough study completion, an average of 8 weeks

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTBradley C Nindl, PhD
bnindl@pitt.edu412-246-0460
CONTACTKristin J Koltun, PhD
kjk116@pitt.edu412-246-0460
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORBradley C Nindl, PhD

University of Pittsburgh

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 19, 2026