Recent advances in hormonal response to exercise

Abstract

1. 1. This is an article concerning the maintenance of homeostasis during varying metabolic responses to different forms of physical stress. This can be considered the task of the nervous and endocrine systems. 2. 2. Research during the past decade in the field of hormonal response to exercise (as a form of stress) in both exercise-trained and untrained subjects (mostly in the human and rat) is discussed. 3. 3. The responses of the various hormones are discussed in three categories according to the broad chemical classification of the hormones, viz. the polypeptides, the amines and the steroids, although of course, these responses are highly integrated. 4. 4. From the literature it is evident that exercise-trained individuals maintain homeostasis more efficiently than untrained individuals because of an improved integrated endocrine response to changes in homeostatic balance. 5. 5. There seems to be insufficient research being conducted into the steroid hormones—especially in view of the increasing misuse of anabolic steroids in enhancing sports performance these days.