Testosterone Responses to Intensive, Prolonged Endurance Exercise in Women
Anthony C Hackney1,2, Hannah N Willett1
1Department of Exercise & Sport Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Objective:
To examine the response of testosterone in women to an intensive, prolonged endurance exercise bout that mimicked a competitive event.
Methods:
Ten healthy eumenorrheic women ran to exhaustion at ~100% of their ventilatory threshold in their follicular menstrual cycle phase. Testosterone measures were assessed pre-exercise, immediately, 30 min, 60 min, 90 min, and 24 h post-exercise.
Results:
At exhaustion (75.1 ± 7.0 min), total (56%), free (36%), and bioavailable testosterone (50%) were increased from pre-exercise values (p< 0.05). At 24 h post-exercise, these measures were decreased from pre-exercise values (-21%, -31%, -18%, respectively; p < 0.05). Effect sizes for these changes ranged from medium to large in magnitude.
Conclusion:
Testosterone was elevated in the early recovery period following exhaustive endurance exercise but was reduced by 24 h afterward. These outcomes are comparable to responses seen in men when sex-based concentration differences are considered.
More Related Videos
07:26Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
12:37Surgical Placement of Catheters for Long-term Cardiovascular Exercise Testing in Swine
Published on: February 9, 2016
Related Concept Videos
01:27Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
01:26Exercise Stress Test
Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:26Testosterone: Functions and Regulation
01:28Menopause
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...