Exercise and metabolic disease/prostate/Medical and Clinical Considerations

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has proven to be very effective in treating prostate cancer. This is why so many prostate cancer patients undergo this type of treatment. But ADT has been shown to cause a number of side-effects, all of which need to be taken into consideration when dealing with someone undergoing ADT. Some of the more common side effects are listed below:


 * Muscular endurance decreased


 * Muscular strength decreased(1)


 * Decreased bone mineral density, leading to significantly increased risk of osteoporosis . This then also leads to an increased risk of bone fractures


 * Sexual dysfunction(2)


 * Increased fat mass(2)(3)(6)


 * Decreased skeletal muscle (6)


 * Reduced gait speed


 * Decreased insulin sensitivity


 * Acute coronary syndrome


 * Increased risk of falls


 * There is also thought that ADT may be associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes(6).

As a result of these side-effects quality of life tends to be significantly decreased(1)(2).

The majority of these-side effects are due to decreased testosterone levels(7).

All of these factors need to be considered when determining appropriate exercise programs.