[Catecholamine response to the Wingate test in untrained women]

Supramaximal exercises are well known to induce a severe stress on the adrenal medulla and nervous sympathetic system. This stress induces increased plasma catecholamines concentrations. The responses of catecholamines to supramaximal exercises in women are still not well characterized and have been studied mostly in trained subjects. Hence the aim of the present study was to evaluate plasma catecholamine responses to a Wingate test in young and untrained women (n = 6) and men (n = 7). Venous plasma catecholamine concentrations were determined by HPLC, at rest, at the end of the warm-up and of the exercise, and during recovery (5, 10, 20, and 30 mn). Our results failed to show any significant difference in resting catecholamine concentrations ([A]p: 0.41 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.45 +/- 0.05 nmol. L-1; [NA]p: 3.28 +/- 0.68 vs. 2.58 +/- 0.26 nmol.L-1), kinetics, and maximal plasma catecholamine concentrations (Amax: 4.47 +/- 1.08 vs. 3.31 +/- 0.63 nmol.L-1; NAmax: 18.05 +/- 1.11 vs. 14.01 +/- 2.02 nmol.L-1) in response to the Wingate test between women and men, respectively. The Amax/NAmax ratio used as an index of adrenal medulla sensitivity to sympathetic input was also similar between genders. In conclusion, this study was able to demonstrate, in untrained subjects, that gender did not alder the sympatho-adrenergic response induced by a severe stress.