Abstract
Objective:To examine the response of testosterone in women to an intensive, prolonged endurance exercise bout that mimicked a competitive event.Methods:Ten healthy eumenorrheic women ran to exhaustion at ~100% of their ventilatory threshold in their follicular menstrual cycle phase. Testosterone measures were assessed pre-exercise, immediately, 30 min, 60 min, 90 min, and 24 h post-exercise.Results:At exhaustion (75.1 ± 7.0 min), total (56%), free (36%), and bioavailable testosterone (50%) were increased from pre-exercise values (p< 0.05). At 24 h post-exercise, these measures were decreased from pre-exercise values (−21%, −31%, −18%, respectively; p < 0.05). Effect sizes for these changes ranged from medium to large in magnitude.Conclusion:Testosterone was elevated in the early recovery period following exhaustive endurance exercise but was reduced by 24 h afterward. These outcomes are comparable to responses seen in men when sex-based concentration differences are considered.
Highlights
Anabolic hormones exert a biological effect on many tissues in the human body [1]
Testosterone is a key steroid-based anabolic hormone that induces many of these biological effects in both men and women [1]
Research on the effects of prolonged endurance exercise on hormones, such as testosterone, are less frequently studied in both men and women, even though the evidence clearly points to the necessity of testosterone in the physiological adaptations of endurance-based activities [4,5]
Summary
Anabolic hormones exert a biological effect on many tissues in the human body [1]. They are important for the growth and maintenance of skeletal muscle, enzymatic proteins, bone, and red blood cells as well as helping to enhance neural function [1,2]. Testosterone is a key steroid-based anabolic hormone that induces many of these biological effects in both men and women [1]. Research on the effects of prolonged endurance exercise on hormones, such as testosterone, are less frequently studied in both men and women, even though the evidence clearly points to the necessity of testosterone in the physiological adaptations of endurance-based activities [4,5]
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