Glycogen supercompensation is one of the adaptations induced by physical training. To potentiate this phenomenon, many athletes use supraphysiological doses of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of nandrolone and aerobic physical exercise in rats, on body weight, plasmatic triglycerides levels, blood glucose and glycogen content. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Sedentary + vehicle (SV), Trained + vehicle (TV), Sedentary + AAS (SAAS) and Trained + AAS (TAAS) (n = 7-14/group). They received i.m. injections of nandrolone or vehicle for 9 weeks, and during the same period trained rats were submitted to aerobic exercise. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA and Tukey tests (p < 0.05). The groups SAAS, TV and TAAS presented lower body weight than the SV group (SAAS: 339 ± 10 = TV: 342 ± 14 = TAAS: 332 ± 6 < SV: 398 ± 9 g). Physical training significantly reduced plasmatic concentration of triglycerides [(TV: 46 ± 4 = TAAS: 44 ± 3) < (SV: 104 ± 1 = SAAS: 101 ± 6 mg/dL)] and of hepatic glycogen [(TV: 3,38 ± 0,57 = TAAS: 2,62 ± 0,34) < (SV: 4,95 ± 0,11 = SAAS: 4,43 ± 0,23 mg/100 mg)] and increased the cardiac glycogen concentration [(TV: 0,38 ± 0,04 = TAAS: 0,42 ± 0,03) > (SV: 0,2 ± 0.02 = SAAS: 0,21 ± 0,02 mg/100 mg)]. Blood glucose and soleus glycogen reserves remained unaltered. The use of supraphysiological doses of nandrolone did not potentiate any of the effects obtained in response to aerobic physical training.113187192Powers, S.K., Howley, E.T., Bioenergética (2000) Fisiologia Do Exercício - Teoria E Aplicação Ao Condicionamento E Ao Desempenho, pp. 21-44. , Powers SK, Howley ET, editores. São Paulo: ManoleWahren, J., Glucose turnover during exercise in healthy man and in patients with diabetes mellitus (1979) Diabetes, 28, pp. 82-88Nakatani, A., Han, D., Hansen, P.A., Nolte, L.A., Host, H.H., Hickner, R.C., Effect of endurance exercise training on muscle glycogen supercompensation in rats (1997) J. Appl. Physiol., 82, pp. 711-715Foss, M.L., Keteyian, S.J., Medicamentos e recursos ergogênicos (2000) Bases Fisiológicas Do Exercício E Do Esporte, pp. 445-462. , Foss ML, Keteyian SJ, editores. Rio de Janeiro: Guanabara KooganVan Breda, E., Keizer, H.A., Geurten, P., Van Kranenburg, G., Menheere, P.P., Kuipers, H., Modulation of glycogen metabolism of rat skeletal muscles by endurance training and testosterone treatment (1993) Pflugers Arch., 424, pp. 294-300Cartee, G.D., Young, D.A., Sleeper, M.D., Zierath, J., Wallberg-Henriksson, H., Holloszy, J.O., Prolonged increase in insulin-stimulated glucose transport in muscle after exercise (1989) Am. J. Physiol., 256, pp. 494-499Parssinen, M., Seppala, T., Steroid use and long-term health risks in former athletes (2002) Sports Med., 32, pp. 83-94Clarkson, P.M., Thompson, H.S., Drugs and sport (1997) Sports Med., 24, pp. 366-381Rabkin, J.G., Wagner, G.J., Rabkin, R., A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of testosterone therapy for HIV-positive men with hypogonadal symptoms (2000) Arch. Gen. Pscychiatry, 57, pp. 141-147Kuipers, H., Wijnen, J.A., Hartgens, F., Willems, S.M., Influence of anabolic steroids on body composition, blood pressure, lipid profile and liver functions in body builders (1991) Int. J. Sports Med., 12, pp. 413-418Franke, W.W., Berendonk, B., Hormonal doping and androgenization of athletes: A secret program of the German Democratic Republic government (1997) Clin. Chem., 43, pp. 1262-1279Cunha, T.S., Cunha, N.S., Moura, M.J.C.S., Marcondes, F.K., Esteróides anabólicos e a prática desportiva (2004) Braz. J. Pharmac. Sci., 40, pp. 165-179Greiwe, J.S., Hickner, R.C., Hansen, P.A., Racette, S.B., Chen, M.M., Holloszy, J.O., Effects of endurance exercise training on muscle glycogen accumulation in humans (1999) J. Appl. Physiol., 87, pp. 222-226Kawanaka, K., Nolte, L.A., Han, D.H., Hansen, P.A., Holloszy, J.O., Mechanisms underlying impaired GLUT-4 translocation in glycogen-supercompensated muscles of exercised rats (2000) Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab., 279, pp. E1311-E1318Ramamani, A., Aruldhas, M.M., Govindarajulu, P., Differential response of rat skeletal muscle glycogen metabolism to testosterone and estradiol (1999) Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 77, pp. 300-304Pope Jr., H.G., Katz, D.L., Affective and psychotic symptoms associated with anabolic steroid use (1988) Am. J. Psychiatry, 145, pp. 487-490Norton, G.R., Trifunovic, B., Woodiwiss, A.J., Attenuated beta-adrenoceptor-mediated cardiac contractile responses following androgenic steroid administration to sedentary rats (2000) Eur. J. Appl. Physiol., 81, pp. 310-316Marcondes, F.K., Vanderlei, L.C.M., Lanza, L.L.B., Spadari-Bratfisch, R.C., Stress-induced subsensitivity to catecholamines depends on the estrous cycle (1996) Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 74, pp. 663-669Ostman-Smith, I., Adaptative changes in the sympathetic nervous system and some effector organs of the rat following long term exercise or cold acclimation and the role of cardiac sympathetic nerves in the genesis of compensatory cardiac hypertrophy (1979) Acta Physiol. Scand., 477, pp. 1-118Dubois, M., Gilles, K.A., Hamilton, J.K., Rebers, P.A., Smith, F., Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances (1956) Anal. Chem., 28, pp. 350-356Lo, S., Russel, J.C., Taylor, A.W., Determination of glycogen in small tissue samples (1970) J. Appl. Physiol., 28, pp. 234-236Tanno, A.P., Bianchi, F.J., Moura, M.J.C.S., Marcondes, F.K., Atrial supersensitivity to noradrenaline in stressed female rats (2002) Life Sci., 71, pp. 2973-2981Spadari, R.C., De Moraes, S., Repeated swimming stress and responsiveness of isolated rat pacemaker to chronotropic effect of noradrenaline and isoprenaline: Role of adrenal corticosteroids (1988) Gen. Pharmacol., 19, pp. 553-557Silva, C.A., Polacow, M.L., Guirro, R., Tanno, A.P., Silva, H.C., Paro, D., Tratamento com metformina induz elevação no conteúdo de glicogênio no fígado, nos músculos e nas ilhotas de Langerhans (1999) PUC-SP Ciências Biológicas E Do Ambiente, 1, pp. 53-71Coyle, E.F., Metabolismo lipídico durante o exercício (1997) Sports Science Exchange, 15, pp. 20-26Carson, J.A., Lee, W.J., Mcclung, J., Hand, G.A., Steroid receptor concentration in aged rat hindlimb muscle: Effect of anabolic steroid administration (2002) J. Appl. Physiol., 93, pp. 242-250Guzman, M., Saborido, A., Castro, J., Molano, F., Megias, A., Treatment with anabolic steroids increases the activity of the mitochondrial outer carnitin palmitoyltransferase in rat liver and fast-twitch muscle (1991) Biochem. Pharm., 41, pp. 833-835Ferguson, M.A., Alderson, N.L., Trost, S.G., Essig, D.A., Burke, J.R., Durstine, J.L., Effects of four different single exercise sessions on lipids, lipoproteins, and lipoprotein lipase (1998) J. Appl. Physiol., 85, pp. 1169-1174Marliss, E.B., Kreisman, S.H., Manzon, A., Halter, J.B., Vranic, M., Nessim, S., Gender differences in glucoregulatory responses to intense exercise (2000) J. Appl. Physiol., 88, pp. 457-466Wahren, J., Felig, P., Hendler, R., Ahlborg, G., Glucose and amino acid metabolism during recovery after exercise (1973) J. Appl. Physiol., 34, pp. 838-845Baldwin, K.M., Winder, W.W., Terjung, R.L., Holloszy, J.O., Glycolytic enzymes in different types of skeletal muscle: Adaptation to exercise (1973) Am. J. Physiol., 225, pp. 962-966Kinney LaPier, T.L., Rodnick, K.J., Effects of aerobic exercise on energy metabolism in the hypertensive rat heart (2001) Phys. Ther., 81, pp. 1006-1017Goodwin, G.W., Taegtmeyer, H., Improved energy homeostasis of the heart in the metabolic state of exercise (2000) Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol., 279, pp. H1490-H1501Silva, C.A., Polacow, M.L.O., Guirro, R., Tanno, A.P., Silva, H.C., Rodrigues, D., O efeito do fenobarbital sobre as reservas de glicogênio no músculo sóleo desnervado em ratos (1998) Revista Brasileira De Fisioterapia, 3, pp. 35-40Ploug, T., van Deurs, B., Ai, H., Cushman, S.W., Ralston, E., Analysis of GLUT 4 distribution in whole skeletal muscle fibers: Identification of distinct storage compartments that are recruited by insulin and muscle contractions (1998) J. Cell Biol., 142, pp. 1429-1446Price, T.B., Laurent, D., Petersen, K.F., Rothman, D.L., Shulman, G.I., Glycogen loading alters muscle glycogen resynthesis after exercise (2000) J. Appl. Physiol., 88, pp. 698-704Poland, J.L., Poland, J.W., Honey, R.N., Differential response of rat cardiac and skeletal muscle glycogen to glucocorticoids (1982) Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol., 60, pp. 634-637Parssinen, M., Kujala, U., Vartiainen, E., Sarna, S., Seppala, T., Increased premature mortality of competitive powerlifters suspected to have used anabolic agents (2000) Int. J. Sports Med., 21, pp. 225-227