Adv. Cardiol., vol. 18, pp. 144-157 (Karger, Basel 1976)
Physical Activity and Hormones 1 H. ADLERCREUTZ, M. HARKONEN, K. KUOPPASALMI, K. KOSUNEN, H. NXVERI and S. REHUNEN Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Meilahti Hospital, Helsinki
l. Introduction
Previous studies on the influence of physical activity on plasma and urinary hormone levels have dealt mainly with hormones involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Hormone levels have been measured with one exception [21] only during and after aerobic exercise. Of the steroid hormones, only the effects on cortisol [11, 13, 19,28,32-37], testosterone [13,24] and aldosterone [32] have been studied. To learn more about the effect of physical activity on plasma hormone levels, we studied the effect of both short-term anaerobic exercise and non-competitive marathon running on the plasma concentrations of a number of hormones.
II. Insulin, Glucagon, Growth Hormone and Catecholamines
Supported by grants from the Finnish Ministry of Education, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation and the Ford Foundation (New York).
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Long-term aerobic exercise raises considerably the level of growth hormone (GH), but either reduces or has no effect on the concentration of insulin [31]. When insulin levels do drop, the decline is smaller in fit subjects [19]. When exercise leads to exhaustion, plasma insulin levels rise slightly immediately thereafter [7]. In fit subjects, plasma GH levels are not affected by submaximal exercise [37]. After submaximal exercise during the day, the nighttime level of GH was found to be higher in test subjects than in controls [I]. Plasma glucagon levels rise slightly during and after exercise [7, 16,
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37], this rise being greater during prolonged than during graded exercise [16]. Concentrations of plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline increase considerably during aerobic exercise, an increase that correlates with a rise in the level of glucagon [16]. This correlation may be important because it has been found that administration of the a-adrenergic blocker phentolamine to rats before exercise completely blocks exercise-induced hyperglucagonemia [20], Blood glucose levels usually decrease slightly during heavy aerobic exercise [19,25]. We studied the effect of anaerobic exercise on plasma hormone levels in five male runners who ran a total of 900 m in three 300-meter sprints at their fastest possible speed, resting 5 min between the first and second 300 m and 3 min between the second and third. Blood samples and muscle biopsies were taken before, immediately after and 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 24 and 72 h after the run. The results and experimental design of another study dealing with the effect of marathon running on hormone levels have been reported in detail elsewhere [13]. The matched-pair t-test or the Student's t-test (De Jonge) were used in the statistical analyses of the results. Some of the results of the study involving anaerobic exercise are shown in figures 1-7. In all five runners, blood lactate levels rose very sharply (p < 0.001) (fig. 1) and blood pH fell to extremely low values (mean 6.9;
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Fig. 1. Blood lactate concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 5 test subjects.
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Fig. 6. Muscle glucose concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 5 test subjects.
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glucose. Muscle glucose levels rose sharply (fig. 6) accompanied by only a small decrease in the concentration of muscle glycogen (fig. 7). Hence muscle cells probably take up glucose from the circulation, aided in part by the increase in plasma insulin.
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Fig. 7. Muscle glycogen concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 5 test subjects.
Physical Activity and Hormones
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As expected, mean GH levels rose considerably (fig. 8). Because of the wide variation in pre-exercise levels (due to psychological stress?), however, this mean rise was only significant (p < 0.01) when compared with GH levels recorded 3-72 h after the run. In earlier studies, concentrations of plasma GH were found to increase much more slowly during aerobic exercise [25,31] than they did in our study. The exact mechanism by which blood GH concentrations increase after exercise is still not known, but it seems likely that during exercise the control of GH release is mediated by adrenergic functions in the hypothalamus and not by peripherally secreted catecholamines [18]. It is also most probable that humoral factors playa part in GH release. LASSARRE et af. [25] suggest that the level of circulating hormone and the activity of anaerobic glycolysis are related; it seems unlikely, however, that changes in total blood amino acids and free fatty acids (FFA) could have any marked effect on GH release during exercise [17, 37]. Furthermore, the stimulation of GH release during exercise might be mediated through an afferent pathway in the spinal cord in much the same way that, according to NEWSOME and ROSE [30], such stimulation occurs during surgical stress.
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Fig. 8. Plasma growth hormone (GH) concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 4 test subjects.
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Physical Activity and Hormones 1 H. ADLERCREUTZ, M. HARKONEN, K. KUOPPASALMI, K. KOSUNEN, H. NXVERI and S. REHUNEN Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Helsinki, Meilahti Hospital, Helsinki
l. Introduction
Previous studies on the influence of physical activity on plasma and urinary hormone levels have dealt mainly with hormones involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Hormone levels have been measured with one exception [21] only during and after aerobic exercise. Of the steroid hormones, only the effects on cortisol [11, 13, 19,28,32-37], testosterone [13,24] and aldosterone [32] have been studied. To learn more about the effect of physical activity on plasma hormone levels, we studied the effect of both short-term anaerobic exercise and non-competitive marathon running on the plasma concentrations of a number of hormones.
II. Insulin, Glucagon, Growth Hormone and Catecholamines
Supported by grants from the Finnish Ministry of Education, the Sigrid Juselius Foundation and the Ford Foundation (New York).
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Long-term aerobic exercise raises considerably the level of growth hormone (GH), but either reduces or has no effect on the concentration of insulin [31]. When insulin levels do drop, the decline is smaller in fit subjects [19]. When exercise leads to exhaustion, plasma insulin levels rise slightly immediately thereafter [7]. In fit subjects, plasma GH levels are not affected by submaximal exercise [37]. After submaximal exercise during the day, the nighttime level of GH was found to be higher in test subjects than in controls [I]. Plasma glucagon levels rise slightly during and after exercise [7, 16,
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37], this rise being greater during prolonged than during graded exercise [16]. Concentrations of plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline increase considerably during aerobic exercise, an increase that correlates with a rise in the level of glucagon [16]. This correlation may be important because it has been found that administration of the a-adrenergic blocker phentolamine to rats before exercise completely blocks exercise-induced hyperglucagonemia [20], Blood glucose levels usually decrease slightly during heavy aerobic exercise [19,25]. We studied the effect of anaerobic exercise on plasma hormone levels in five male runners who ran a total of 900 m in three 300-meter sprints at their fastest possible speed, resting 5 min between the first and second 300 m and 3 min between the second and third. Blood samples and muscle biopsies were taken before, immediately after and 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 24 and 72 h after the run. The results and experimental design of another study dealing with the effect of marathon running on hormone levels have been reported in detail elsewhere [13]. The matched-pair t-test or the Student's t-test (De Jonge) were used in the statistical analyses of the results. Some of the results of the study involving anaerobic exercise are shown in figures 1-7. In all five runners, blood lactate levels rose very sharply (p < 0.001) (fig. 1) and blood pH fell to extremely low values (mean 6.9;
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Fig. 1. Blood lactate concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 5 test subjects.
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Fig. 6. Muscle glucose concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 5 test subjects.
148 148 148
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glucose. Muscle glucose levels rose sharply (fig. 6) accompanied by only a small decrease in the concentration of muscle glycogen (fig. 7). Hence muscle cells probably take up glucose from the circulation, aided in part by the increase in plasma insulin.
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Fig. 7. Muscle glycogen concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 5 test subjects.
Physical Activity and Hormones
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As expected, mean GH levels rose considerably (fig. 8). Because of the wide variation in pre-exercise levels (due to psychological stress?), however, this mean rise was only significant (p < 0.01) when compared with GH levels recorded 3-72 h after the run. In earlier studies, concentrations of plasma GH were found to increase much more slowly during aerobic exercise [25,31] than they did in our study. The exact mechanism by which blood GH concentrations increase after exercise is still not known, but it seems likely that during exercise the control of GH release is mediated by adrenergic functions in the hypothalamus and not by peripherally secreted catecholamines [18]. It is also most probable that humoral factors playa part in GH release. LASSARRE et af. [25] suggest that the level of circulating hormone and the activity of anaerobic glycolysis are related; it seems unlikely, however, that changes in total blood amino acids and free fatty acids (FFA) could have any marked effect on GH release during exercise [17, 37]. Furthermore, the stimulation of GH release during exercise might be mediated through an afferent pathway in the spinal cord in much the same way that, according to NEWSOME and ROSE [30], such stimulation occurs during surgical stress.
Downloaded by: Université de Paris 193.51.85.197 - 1/26/2020 8:58:12 AM
Fig. 8. Plasma growth hormone (GH) concentrations before and after heavy anaerobic exercise (running 3 x 300 m, see text). Each point represents the mean ± SEM of results in 4 test subjects.
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