Multiple hormonal responses to physical exercise in eumenorrheic trained and untrained women

The aim of the present investigation was to compare the changes in plasma estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), androstenedione (delta 4-A), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and prolactin (PRL) in standardized tests (15-min consecutive work loads of 60%, 70%, 80% VO2 max to exhaustion) in 13 eumenorrheic untrained (UT) and 8 highly trained women (MR). Blood was obtained 15 and 2 min before exercise and at the end of each work load or each 15 min period. The results showed a significant increase (0.05 greater than P less than 0.001, two-way ANOVA) in plasma E2 P, T delta 4-A, PRL, and ACTH both in UT and MR irrespective of the phase of the menstrual cycle. DHEA S levels increased significantly in the MR, but not in the UT, PRL and ACTH increased linearly with exercise in MR and nonlinearly in UT. In the latter group, only the 80% VO2 max work load was able to elicit significant increments in the plasma levels of these hormones. In the MR plasma T and delta 4-A levels increased relatively more pronounced (P less than 0.05) at comparable work loads and exercise times than in the UT. LH levels decreased with exercise both in the UT and MR, whereas FSH levels remained unchanged (MR) or decreased (UT). These findings suggest that during exercise the ovarian hormones are increased by more unspecific mechanisms such as a decreased metabolic clearance rate, whereas in the MR, adrenal secretion of androgens is enhanced.