Effects of exercise on excretion rates of urinary free cortisol

Excretion rates of urinary free cortisol were studied in 20 men assigned to four treadmill exercise groups: walking at 3 mph for 10 min or 30 min, or running at 7.5 mph for 10 min or 30 min. Free cortisol in urine was measured before and 30, 60, and 90 min after exercise, and again on a control day. Patterns of free-cortisol excretions after exercise at 7.5 mph for 10 and 30 min were significantly different from the control day (P less than 0.05) with the largest changes occurring in the 30-min group. Exercise and control patterns were not different for the other two conditions (P greater than 0.05). Within the 7.5 mph-30 min group the postexercise cortisol excretion rates were directly related to the relative intensity of exercise (%VO2max) and the respiratory exchange ratio. It is concluded that changes in free cortisol excretion rates depend on the duration as well as the intensity of exercise.