Adrenal, Gonadal and Peripherally Steroid Changes in Response to Extreme Physical Stress for Characterizing Load Capacity in Athletes

Abstract

Athletes are often exposed to extreme physical stress during training or competitions. The consequent activation of the hypothalamus–hypophysis–adrenal (HPA) axis results in intensified steroid hormone production in the adrenal cortex. We determined the impact of an acute extreme physical stress on adrenal and gonadal steroidogenesis in healthy male professional athletes (n = 40). The subjects underwent an extreme physical load test until total voluntary fatigue between 14:00 and 18:00 when the hormone levels are relatively stable. Blood was taken before the start (baseline), at the peak load (peak), and 30 min following completion of the exercise (recovery). The vital parameters, lactate levels, and blood levels of the 14 steroid hormones were recorded. The multivariate statistical analysis of the results revealed that all monitored hormone levels increased upon stress. Significant changes in steroid concentrations were detected at peak versus baseline, peak versus recovery, and at baseline versus recovery. The mineralocorticoid (including aldosterone and corticosterone), glucocorticoid (11-deoxycortisol and cortisol), and androgen (androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate) pathways, as well as gonadal testosterone synthesis are activated simultaneously under extreme physical load. The profiling of adrenal and gonadal steroid biosynthesis in athletes may help the characterization of their loading capacity.

Development and Validation of Sensitive, Fast and Simple LC-MS/MS Method to Investigate the Association between Adrenocortical Steroidogenesis and the High Intensity Exercise in Elite Athletes

“…To the best of our knowledge, only Csöndör and colleagues used this approach to comprehensively study the association between athletes’ adrenocortical steroidogenesis and high-intensity exercise. The authors used two-dimensional ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization [ 17 ]. The separation of 14 analytes from the isobaric compounds and lipids present in extracts was achieved by applying two-dimensional chromatography before mass spectrometric detection.…”

Effects of Extreme Physical and Mental Load on Circulating Exerkines in Professional Athletes

“…There are notable differences between acute and chronic exerkine responses. While acute exercise triggers more of a stress-like response, 58 chronic exercise triggers an adaptive response with repeated bouts of exercise. 16 Acute exercise might be initially proinflammatory in nature, but this effect is offset by an anti-inflammatory response.…”