Dihydrotestosterone is elevated following sprint exercise in healthy young men
Alan A Smith1, Rebecca Toone, Oliver Peacock
1Sport, Health and Exercise Science, Department for Health, University of Bath, UK. a.a.smith@bath.ac.uk
Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|March 9, 2013
Summary
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) acutely increases after sprint exercise in men, with levels correlating to testosterone changes and influenced by cycling cadence. Further research is needed to determine DHT's role in exercise training and sports performance.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Endocrinology
- Sports Science
Background:
- Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) has known effects on rodent skeletal muscle.
- Investigating DHT's role in human skeletal muscle function is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if circulating DHT elevates acutely after repeat sprint exercise in men.
- To assess the influence of training status and sprint performance on this DHT response.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen healthy young men performed 10 x 30-second high-intensity cycle sprints.
- Blood samples were collected pre-exercise, and 5 and 60 minutes post-exercise.
- Hormone levels (DHT, total testosterone, free testosterone) and exercise performance metrics were analyzed.
Main Results:
- DHT, total testosterone, and free testosterone significantly increased 5 minutes post-exercise, returning to baseline after 1 hour.
- Changes in DHT correlated strongly with changes in total and free testosterone.
- Sprinting cadence correlated with changes in all three hormones; training volume correlated with total testosterone changes.
Conclusions:
- DHT is acutely elevated following high-intensity sprint cycle exercise in men.
- This hormonal response is influenced by exercise intensity (sprinting cadence).
- The specific role of DHT in exercise training and athletic performance requires further investigation.
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