THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HORMONAL RESPONSE AND SELF-ESTIMATED BODY CONDITION AND PROFILE OF MOOD STATES IN TRIATHLETES

Abstract

631 The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mental and body condition and hormonal states in ultra-endurance exercise. Subjects were twenty-eight Japanese male athletes (34±6.0yrs, race time:568±54min.) who answered a profile of mood states (POMS) and questions with a visual analog scale with regard to self-estimated body condition two days before the 1997 IRONMAN Japan triathlon (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.2km run). Blood sampling for plasma ACTH, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and serum cortisol was conducted two days before and immediately after the race. Subjects were divided into two groups. One group was Good-Condition group (GC) whose body condition was good on the visual analog scale, and showed POMS-low total mood disturbance (TMD) score (n=7) two days before the race. The remaining subjects were categorized as No good Condition group (NC)(n=21). TMD score was computed in the following manner: TMD score = (T + D + A + F + C) - (V) (T: tension, D: depression, A: anger, V: vigor, F: fatigue, C: confusion). The mean age and race time were not significantly different between the groups. T, D, F, and C scores were significantly lower (p<0.05), while V score was significantly higher (p<0.01) in GC as compared to NC two days before the race. Mean ACTH level was significantly lower (p<0.05) and mean cortisol level tended to be lower (p=0.07) in GC as compared to NC, while the mean levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline were not significantly different between two groups two days before the race. Immediately after the race, mean values of all biochemical parameters significantly increased. However, they are not significantly different between the groups. The mean change in value of cortisol was significantly higher in GC as compared to NC (p<0.05). The results of this study indicated that those who show good body condition accompanied by good mood states have better pre-race hormonal states and better hormonal responses in ultra-endurance exercise. In conclusion, both self-estimated body condition and mood states can be a predictor of the hormonal states in the pituitary adrenal axis following ultra-endurance exercise.