Plasma AVP, neurophysin, renin activity, and aldosterone during submaximal exercise performed until exhaustion in...

The effect of intense muscular work (80% of maximal oxygen uptake) on responses of plasma hormones involved in electrolyte and water balance were measured in 14 male subjects. They were divided into three groups according to their maximal oxygen uptake and the duration of exercise performed until exhaustion: well trained subjects (group I), trained subjects (group II), and untrained subjects (group III). Pulmonary gas exchange, heart rate, rectal and skin temperature, and weight loss were measured as well as hematocrit and plasma and urine sodium and potassium concentrations. Rectal temperature increased significantly in all subjects after exhaustion. The variation of hematocrit was smallest and the weight loss greatest in the well-trained subjects. Plasma aldosterone, renin activity (PRA), vasopressin (AVP), and neurophysin (Np) displayed highly significant increases after exercise in all three groups: PRA was increased 4.5 times (p < 0.01), aldosterone 13 times (p < 0.05), Np 2.6 times (p pe 0.05), and AVP 4.8 times (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, there was no correlation between the changes in PRA and those in plasma aldosterone, nor between aldosterone and plasma sodium or potassium. At the urinary level, the only striking observation was that free water clearance tends to become positive after exercise. Our results provide evidence that this kind of exercise produces a highly significant increase in plasma levels of the hormones involved in electrolyte and water balance. They also indicate that it is among the well-trained subjects that sweat loss is highest though the hematocrit increase is the smallest; this suggests that water is shifted more efficiently from the extravascular compartment.