Abstract
BackgroundExercise can disrupt homeostasis and trigger many adaptive responses in different hormonal axes. The study of hormonal interactions with physical activity is highly complex due to the number of variables, such as exercise duration, exercise intensity, individual level of training, circadian rhythm, nutritional status, and environmental conditions.MethodsThis study was performed to assess daily variations of thyroid hormones, cortisol, testosterone, insulin and glucose during moderate to high intensity aerobic physical activity for 5 consecutive days. Sample collection was performed at baseline in the morning and in the evening, immediately after finishing the activity, on the 4 initial days of the activity. Statistical analysis was performed using software STATA V14. Continuous variables are presented as means and standard deviations, while categorical variables are presented as absolute and percentage values. We used Shapiro–Wilk, Wilcoxon Sign, Mann–Whitney and Student’s T test, according the needs.ResultsThe adrenocorticotropic axis showed an initial increase in the evening cortisol level compared to the baseline level in the morning (17.46 μg/dL and 15.97 μg/dL, respectively) and then exhibited a significant reduction between the 1st and 4th day of activity (17.46 μg/dL and 8.39 μg/dL, respectively; P = 0.001). The same pattern was observed for free thyroxine (T4) between the 1st and 4th day (1.31 and 1.14, respectively; P < 0.001).ConclusionsModerate to intense long duration physical activity resulted in little variation in the hormones assessed, with a trend toward reduced levels of cortisol and free T4. These findings highlight an adaptive hormonal mechanism in response to stress that is repeated daily, as shown by cortisol and thyroid function in our study.
Highlights
Exercise can disrupt homeostasis and trigger many adaptive responses in different hormonal axes
Physical activity is a strong stimulus for the endocrine system, and the hormonal response to exercise is regulated by several factors, including intensity, individual level of training, duration, and type of exercise [1]
The aim of this work was to evaluate a hormone panel consisting of cortisol, testosterone, free T4 (FT4), total triiodothyronine (T3), thyrotropin (TSH), insulin, and glucose substrate during moderate to high intensity aerobic physical activity for 4 consecutive days to identify possible adaptive mechanisms of this hormonal environment in response to a daily stimulus
Summary
Exercise can disrupt homeostasis and trigger many adaptive responses in different hormonal axes. Few studies have analyzed the hormonal dynamics to evaluate the daily impact of repeated exercise for several consecutive days Studying these hormonal changes, during walking, the most popular physical activity, may help better understand the hormonal homeostasis during this type of activity. During walking, the most popular physical activity, may help better understand the hormonal homeostasis during this type of activity This is especially important when walking is practiced outdoors for a long period of time, in a repeated manner, for several days. Such information will help better determine the ideal duration of training, rest, and time interval between training sessions. These data de Souza et al Diabetol Metab Syndr (2019) 11:19 will, in turn, contribute to the improvement of the performance of athletes and to the optimization of exercise programs in non-athletes as a tool for health promotion and maintenance [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
