STUDY PROTOCOL article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1654077
Study Protocol: Associations Between Hormonal Profile and Physical and Cognitive Functions in Middle-Aged Men - A One-Year Cohort Follow-Up Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1The Neuromuscular and Human Performance Laboratory, Ariel University, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel, Israel
- 2Sheba Longevity Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel HaShomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
- 3Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Background: Middle age (45–64 years) is a critical yet under-researched phase of aging, during which the first signs of physical, cognitive, and hormonal decline often emerge. In men, testosterone (T) levels begin to decrease starting in the fourth decade of life. However, the relationship between T levels and functional abilities in midlife men remains poorly understood. A better understanding of how physical, cognitive, and hormonal domains interact during this transitional phase is essential for developing targeted interventions to promote healthy aging. Using advanced assessment tools, we propose a study aimed to clarify this association in middle-aged men. Methods: This is a one-year follow-up cohort study. Two hundred healthy middle-aged men will undergo comprehensive assessments, including blood tests, body composition analysis, balance and strength testing, and computerized cognitive evaluation. Half of the sample will perform a subset of the balance and strength tests with a smartphone on their back to obtain accelerometry based measures that have been shown to detect subtle functional changes in midlife. T levels will be measured again after six months, and a full assessment will be reperformed after one year. Expected Results: We anticipate that men with higher T levels will have better physical and cognitive function, with these associations persisting over a one-year period. Conclusions: This study addresses a critical research gap by clarifying the relationships between hormonal, physical, and cognitive function during midlife. If significant associations are identified, T level assessments could be integrated into routine preclinical screenings alongside physical and cognitive evaluations.
Keywords: midlife, males, Sex-hormones, Testosterone, Intrinsic-capacity, cognitive, Physical, function
Received: 25 Jun 2025; Accepted: 20 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Keren, Goshen, Strauss and Springer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shmuel Springer, The Neuromuscular and Human Performance Laboratory, Ariel University, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ariel, Israel
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.