ADRENOCORTICAL ACTIVATION FOLLOWING STRESSFUL EXERCISE: FURTHER EVIDENCE FOR ATTENUATED FREE CORTISOL RESPONSES IN WOMEN USING ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES
✍ Scribed by KIRSCHBAUM, CLEMENS ;PLATTE, PETRA ;PIRKE, KARL-MARTIN ;HELLHAMMER, DIRK
- Book ID
- 102660195
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1996
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 539 KB
- Volume
- 12
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0748-8386
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Free cortisol, heart rate and affective responses to bicycle ergometry were studied in 31 women using oral contraceptives (OC) and 22 control women. While OC users and control women showed significant increases in both free cortisol and heart rate, OC users had significantly attenuated cortisol responses. Individual workload, peak heart rates and affective responses were similar in both groups. No effect of menstrual or pill cycle phase could be observed on the parameters studied. It is concluded that OC users are able to mount a significant free cortisol response to strenuous exercise but the response magnitude is lower than in women who do not use oestrogen-containing medication. Possible mechanisms and health implications are discussed briefly. KEY woms-saliva; ergometry; human; physical stress; cortisol; menstrual cycle phase Strenuous physical exercise is a potent stressor which elicits a wide range of metabolic, endocrine, immune and psychological responses in many species. Among the most prominent changes are decreases in blood glucose levels, increases in oxygen consumption and sympathetic output and elevation of numerous hormones. One of the most frequently studied endocrine effects of physical exercise is the acute secretion of cortisol preceded by a release of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), vasopressin and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Results from recent studies suggest that the increased level of cortisol following exercise may reflect the body's attempt to counterregulate the metabolic changes in order to avoid damage. For example, if subjects perform physical exercise greater than 60 per cent V02max, cortisol rises in response to fluid loss and decreased electrolyte and carbohydrate level^.'^ Substitution of these substances prevents cortisol secretion. Rising levels of vasopressin, ACTH and cortisol might thus be needed for counterregulation, increasing the avail-