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Trait anxiety, submaximal physical exercise and blood androgens
P Diamond1, G R Brisson, B Candas
1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, Canada.
Summary
Trait anxiety is linked to lower resting androgen levels in men. Exercise increases androgens in all men, but anxious individuals still show lower levels, suggesting anxiety impacts hormone response to physical exertion.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Sports Medicine
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
Background:
- Trait anxiety is a personality trait characterized by a general tendency to perceive stressful situations as threatening.
- Hormonal responses to physical stress can be influenced by psychological factors.
- Understanding the interplay between anxiety, hormones, and exercise is crucial for sports science and clinical psychology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between trait anxiety and serum levels of androgens and gonadotrophins.
- To examine how these hormone levels change at rest and during severe physical exercise in relation to anxiety levels.
Main Methods:
- Selected 12 untrained male college students, categorized as anxious (N=6) or non-anxious (N=6) based on trait-anxiety tests.
- Measured serum concentrations of delta 4-androgens (testosterone, delta 4-androstenedione), delta 5-androgens (DHEA, DHEA-SO4), and gonadotrophins (LH, FSH) using radioimmunoassay.
- Collected samples before, during, and after 20 minutes of intensive bicycle exercise (80% maximal heart rate).
Main Results:
- Anxious subjects exhibited significantly lower resting serum delta 4-androgens compared to non-anxious subjects.
- All measured serum androgen concentrations increased significantly during exercise, regardless of anxiety level.
- Delta 4-androstenedione levels remained lower in anxious subjects during exercise.
- Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were significantly higher in anxious subjects throughout, while follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) did not differ.
- Intensive exercise induced a significant decrease in serum LH and FSH levels in all subjects.
Conclusions:
- Trait anxiety may significantly influence pre-exercise and exercise-induced androgen concentrations in untrained men.
- Anxiety appears to modulate the hormonal milieu, affecting both baseline androgen levels and the response to physical stress.
- Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these psychoneuroendocrine interactions.