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Acidosis stimulates beta-endorphin release during exercise

D V Taylor1, J G Boyajian, N James

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine 92668.

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|October 1, 1994
PubMed
Summary

Acidosis, not exertion, primarily stimulates beta-endorphin release during intense exercise. Buffering blood acidosis significantly suppressed beta-endorphin levels, indicating its crucial role.

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Area of Science:

  • Exercise Physiology
  • Neuroendocrinology

Background:

  • Elevated beta-endorphin levels are linked to high-intensity exercise.
  • The precise stimulus for beta-endorphin release during exertion remains unclear, with theories pointing to exertion intensity or acidosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate acidosis as the primary stimulus for beta-endorphin release during exercise.
  • To examine the relationship between blood gas changes, lactate levels, and beta-endorphin concentrations.
  • To assess the impact of buffering acidosis on beta-endorphin release.

Main Methods:

  • Evaluated seven healthy males during incremental exercise, measuring blood gases, lactate, and beta-endorphin.
  • Utilized a multivariate model to identify predictors of beta-endorphin levels.
  • Compared beta-endorphin responses with and without alkali loading (buffering) during constant-intensity exercise.

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Main Results:

  • Strong correlations were observed between acidosis indicators (pH, PCO2, HCO3-, base excess, lactate) and beta-endorphin levels during incremental exercise.
  • Changes in base excess best predicted beta-endorphin levels.
  • Buffering acidosis during exercise significantly suppressed beta-endorphin release, with levels peaking post-exercise and paralleling blood acid levels.

Conclusions:

  • Acidosis, rather than exertion intensity itself, is the principal physiological stimulus for beta-endorphin release.
  • Maintaining blood pH above 7.40 effectively mitigates exercise-induced beta-endorphin release.