Table 3. Dietary Frequency Questionnaire (QFA) Classification for Trained and Non-Trained Groups, Healthy and Unhealthy Food Groups

TITLE: Healthy Men Practicing Resistance Training Show No Improvement in Prostate-Specific Antigen Concentrations: A Cross-Sectional StudyINTRODUCTION Lack of physical activity has been implicated in elevated risk for prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer (PCa), conditions commonly accompanied by raised prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in men aged >40 years. Prostate cancer was the second most frequent cancer worldwide in 2020 (1.41 million new cases; 375 thousand deaths) and the most prevalent malignancy among men in Brazil. OBJECTIVE To assess the relationship between participation in resistance training and serum concentrations of PSA among middle-aged men. METHODS This cross-sectional study, approved by the ethics committee (CAAE: 87476225.8.0000.0089), took place in 2025 at Universidade São Judas Tadeu and a gym facility in Santo André, SP, Brazil. Forty healthy males (40–55 years) with no history of prostatic disease were enrolled via convenience sampling and divided into trained (GT, n=24) and untrained (GNT, n=16) groups. Measurements included bioimpedance body composition, dietary habits (FFQ), IPSS/QoL, DASS-21, 1RM strength, and fasting serum PSA. Mann-Whitney U, Fisher’s exact, and Spearman correlation tests were applied (significance set at p < 0.05). RESULTS Mean participant age was 44.9 years. PSA levels showed no significant difference between groups. No substantial correlations were found between PSA and body composition variables, dietary patterns, strength performance, or mental health indices. A moderate positive correlation existed between IPSS/QoL and PSA (r = 0.331; p = 0.037). CONCLUSION Engagement in resistance training did not influence PSA concentrations in this population. Lower urinary tract symptom scores were positively associated with PSA. Long-term controlled trials are needed to establish whether resistance exercise confers protective benefits for prostate health markers.