Impact of menstrual function on hormonal response to repeated bouts of intense exercise
(2019) In Frontiers in Physiology 10(JUL).- Abstract
Background: Strenous exercise stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) axis in order to ensure homeostasis and promote anabolism. Furthermore, exercise stimulates a transient increase in the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) suggested to mediate the anxiolytic effects of exercise. Athletes with secondary functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) have been reported to have lower BDNF, and a blunted HP axis response to exercise as athletes with overtraining syndrome. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the hormonal and BDNF responses to a two-bout maximal exercise protocol with four hours of recovery in between in FHA and eumenorrheic (EUM) athletes. Methods: Eumenorrheic (n = 16) and FHA (n = 14) endurance... (More)
Background: Strenous exercise stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) axis in order to ensure homeostasis and promote anabolism. Furthermore, exercise stimulates a transient increase in the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) suggested to mediate the anxiolytic effects of exercise. Athletes with secondary functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) have been reported to have lower BDNF, and a blunted HP axis response to exercise as athletes with overtraining syndrome. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the hormonal and BDNF responses to a two-bout maximal exercise protocol with four hours of recovery in between in FHA and eumenorrheic (EUM) athletes. Methods: Eumenorrheic (n = 16) and FHA (n = 14) endurance athletes were recruited from national teams and competitive clubs. Protocols included gynecological examination; body composition (DXA); 7-day assessment of energy availability; blood sampling pre and post the two exercises tests. Results: There were no differences between groups in hormonal responses to the first exercise bout. After the second exercise bout IGFBP-3 increased more in FHA compared with EUM athletes (2.1 ± 0.5 vs. 0.6 ± 0.6 µg/L, p = 0.048). There were non-significant trends toward higher increase in IGF-1 (39.3 ± 4.3 vs. 28.0 ± 4.6 µg/L, p = 0.074), BDNF (96.5 ± 22.9 vs. 34.4 ± 23.5 µg/L, p = 0.058), GH to cortisol ratio (0.329 ± 0.010 vs. 0.058 ± 0.010, p = 0.082), and decrease in IGF-1 to IGFBP-3 ratio (−2.04 ± 1.2 vs. 0.92 ± 1.22, p = 0.081) in athletes with FHA compared with EUM athletes. Furthermore, there was a non-significant trend toward a higher increase in prolactin to cortisol ratio in EUM athletes compared with athletes with FHA (0.60 ± 0.15 vs. 0.23 ± 0.15, p = 0.071). No differences in the hormonal or BDNF responses between the two exercise bouts as a result of menstrual function were found. Conclusion: No major differences in the hormonal or BDNF responses between the two exercise bouts as a result of menstrual function could be detected.
(Less)
- author
- Melin, Anna K. LU ; Ritz, Christian ; Faber, Jens ; Skouby, Sven ; Pingel, Jessica ; Sundgot-Borgen, Jorunn ; Sjödin, Anders and Tornberg, Åsa B. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Amenorrhea, Brain derived neuronal factor, Energy availability, Female athlete, Overtraining syndrome
- in
- Frontiers in Physiology
- volume
- 10
- issue
- JUL
- article number
- 942
- publisher
- Frontiers Media S. A.
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85070571785
- pmid:31417414
- ISSN
- 1664-042X
- DOI
- 10.3389/fphys.2019.00942
- project
- Fysiologiska och psykologiska aspekter på låg energitillgänglighet hos kvinnor - påverkan på metabolsim, prestation och hälsa
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- d29db766-ea85-415b-8752-0b63cd05bcf1
- date added to LUP
- 2019-08-27 11:43:05
- date last changed
- 2024-08-21 05:34:13
@article{d29db766-ea85-415b-8752-0b63cd05bcf1, abstract = {{<p>Background: Strenous exercise stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) axis in order to ensure homeostasis and promote anabolism. Furthermore, exercise stimulates a transient increase in the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) suggested to mediate the anxiolytic effects of exercise. Athletes with secondary functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) have been reported to have lower BDNF, and a blunted HP axis response to exercise as athletes with overtraining syndrome. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the hormonal and BDNF responses to a two-bout maximal exercise protocol with four hours of recovery in between in FHA and eumenorrheic (EUM) athletes. Methods: Eumenorrheic (n = 16) and FHA (n = 14) endurance athletes were recruited from national teams and competitive clubs. Protocols included gynecological examination; body composition (DXA); 7-day assessment of energy availability; blood sampling pre and post the two exercises tests. Results: There were no differences between groups in hormonal responses to the first exercise bout. After the second exercise bout IGFBP-3 increased more in FHA compared with EUM athletes (2.1 ± 0.5 vs. 0.6 ± 0.6 µg/L, p = 0.048). There were non-significant trends toward higher increase in IGF-1 (39.3 ± 4.3 vs. 28.0 ± 4.6 µg/L, p = 0.074), BDNF (96.5 ± 22.9 vs. 34.4 ± 23.5 µg/L, p = 0.058), GH to cortisol ratio (0.329 ± 0.010 vs. 0.058 ± 0.010, p = 0.082), and decrease in IGF-1 to IGFBP-3 ratio (−2.04 ± 1.2 vs. 0.92 ± 1.22, p = 0.081) in athletes with FHA compared with EUM athletes. Furthermore, there was a non-significant trend toward a higher increase in prolactin to cortisol ratio in EUM athletes compared with athletes with FHA (0.60 ± 0.15 vs. 0.23 ± 0.15, p = 0.071). No differences in the hormonal or BDNF responses between the two exercise bouts as a result of menstrual function were found. Conclusion: No major differences in the hormonal or BDNF responses between the two exercise bouts as a result of menstrual function could be detected.</p>}}, author = {{Melin, Anna K. and Ritz, Christian and Faber, Jens and Skouby, Sven and Pingel, Jessica and Sundgot-Borgen, Jorunn and Sjödin, Anders and Tornberg, Åsa B.}}, issn = {{1664-042X}}, keywords = {{Amenorrhea; Brain derived neuronal factor; Energy availability; Female athlete; Overtraining syndrome}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{JUL}}, publisher = {{Frontiers Media S. A.}}, series = {{Frontiers in Physiology}}, title = {{Impact of menstrual function on hormonal response to repeated bouts of intense exercise}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00942}}, doi = {{10.3389/fphys.2019.00942}}, volume = {{10}}, year = {{2019}}, }