[Plasma catecholamine concentrations during exercise in the untrained subject and in the sportsman]

Plasma noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) concentrations were measured by high liquid pressure chromatography in five untrained subjects and in five well-trained rowers during an exercise test on bicycle ergometer. Blood samples were collected, via a venous catheter, at rest, after standing 5 minutes, at maximal work level and at 5, 10, 20 minutes of post-exercise. Plasma NA and A concentrations at rest and after 5 minutes of standing were similar in the two groups. At maximal work load (340 +/- 38 for rowers and 220 +/- 11 W for untrained subjects), for a same pulse rate (178.0 +/- 7.6 for rowers and 176.6 +/- 4.7 beats/minutes-1 for untrained subjects), NA and A concentrations were higher in athletes (NA: 5.57 +/- 1.32 microgram/l; A: 0.95 +/- 0.31 microgram/l) than in untrained subjects (NA: 2.13 +/- 0.80 microgram/l; A: 0.40 +/- 0,34 microgram/l). During recovery, no significant difference was observed between the two groups.