Testosterone, cortisol, hGH, and IGF-1 levels in an Italian female elite volleyball team.

Laura Roli,Maria Cristina De Santis,Marco Bruno Luigi Rocchi,Tommaso Trenti,Sara De Vincentis,Gustavo Savino

doi:10.1002/hsr2.32

Abstract

PurposeTo assess the transferability of the reference intervals (RI) of testosterone (T), cortisol (C), human growth hormone (hGH), and insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1, calculated on a normal healthy population, to a population of female elite volleyball players. Secondary aim of this study is the evaluation of the T/C ratio as predictive tool of overtraining during the annual regular season.MethodsA retrospective, longitudinal, observational study was performed, enrolling 58 professional female volleyball players periodically evaluated during the regular sportive season, which lasts from September to May.ResultsStatistically significant differences between the volleyball players and reference populations for T (P = .010), C (P < .001), and IGF‐1 (P < .001) were found. Three different statistical approaches to calculate the RI in the athlete group showed a high degree of concordance and pointed out a shift upwards of both lower and upper reference limits. The T/C ratio significantly changed among visits (P = .009). In particular, an overall decrease of about 30% was observed for this ratio during the season, suggesting a state of overtraining.ConclusionT, C, hGH, and IGF‐1 reference values calculated on elite volleyball female players are higher than those of the reference population used in normal clinical practice, suggesting that the health status of highly trained subjects needs the definition of tailored RI for these variables. Moreover, the utility of T/C ratio in the evaluation of overtraining is confirmed.

Highlights

The interest in hormonal changes in female athletes has rapidly increased in the last few years, which has led to an exponential rise in the number of studies available in the literature in this field
Each calculated insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1 centile was significantly different from the corresponding centile of the reference population; the P value was
We demonstrate that serum T, C, hGH, and IGF‐1 reference ranges calculated using the data of an elite volleyball female team are higher than those we routinely use in clinical practice, which are derived from a “reference” of healthy female individuals

Summary

Introduction

The interest in hormonal changes in female athletes has rapidly increased in the last few years, which has led to an exponential rise in the number of studies available in the literature in this field. Increasingly more complex laboratory assays have been developed to detect the use of banned substances in sports medicine such as androgenic anabolic steroids, cortisol, and growth hormone (GH).[1] the main objective of laboratory assays is to discriminate between a physiological variation of different biological variables, resulting from physical training, and the pathological change due to the illicit consumption of doping substances. Several changes in neuroendocrine axes occur in athletes, representing a physiologic adaptive response to a low energy state and to stressful physical and mental conditions.[2] Adaptive responses could lead to alterations in tissue metabolism and may affect behavior, neurocognition, and mood.[3,4] the effects of training on hormonal secretion in the female athletes are Health Sci Rep. 2018;1:e32.

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