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Reduced catecholamine response to exercise in amenorrheic athletes
Karine Schaal1, Marta D Van Loan, Gretchen A Casazza
1Sports Performance Laboratory, Sports Medicine Program, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, 95816, USA.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|May 29, 2010
Summary
Amenorrheic athletes exhibit a reduced catecholamine response during intense exercise, indicated by lower blood lactate and catecholamine levels. This suppressed response may impair athletic performance by diminishing the necessary sympathetic drive for cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Endocrinology
- Sports Science
Background:
- Amenorrhea, the absence of menstruation, is common in female athletes and can impact physiological responses.
- Catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine) are crucial hormones regulating the body's response to exercise stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the catecholamine and metabolic responses to maximal exercise between eumenorrheic and amenorrheic athletes.
- To investigate potential performance implications of altered hormonal responses in amenorrheic athletes.
Main Methods:
- Matched eumenorrheic and amenorrheic athletes performed maximal treadmill tests and submaximal running protocols.
- Blood samples were analyzed for glucose, lactate, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol.
- Heart rate, blood pressure, and perceived exertion were monitored throughout exercise.
Main Results:
- Amenorrheic athletes showed significantly lower resting heart rate and mean arterial pressure.
- Norepinephrine, epinephrine, and blood lactate concentrations were significantly lower in amenorrheic athletes at peak exercise.
- No differences in body composition or peak oxygen consumption were observed between groups.
Conclusions:
- Amenorrheic athletes display a blunted adrenergic response to intense exercise.
- Reduced catecholamine levels may compromise the cardiovascular and metabolic adjustments needed for high-intensity exercise performance.
- These findings suggest a potential mechanism linking amenorrhea to decreased exercise capacity in female athletes.
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