Effect of Competition Stress on Tests Used to Assess Testosterone Administration in Athletes

Abstract

The drug test for exogenous administration of testosterone is based on the testosteronelepitestosterone ratio (TIE) in urine. Physiological and psychological stresses may alter plasma testosterone concentrations. The question is to know how much the psychological conditions of competition can modify the TIE ratio. In order to study this issue, 20 athletes practising modern pentathlon participated in a study designed to determine the effects of a pistol shooting trial on their hormonal response. Pistol shooting induces a high psychological stress without increasing energy expenditure. Venous blood samples were drawn before and after the trial according to the usual drug testing procedure. Athletes were separated into two groups: a group of young athletes ( n = 10; mean age 19 f 0.3 years) and another group of aged subjects (n = 10; mean age 45f 1.5 years). The rise in plasma testosterone concentrations reached 75 % in older subjects versus 55 % in younger ones. The plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were not influenced by the trial. After shooting trial the elevation in cortisol concentrations was greater for oldersubjects than for younger ones (273 f 30 ng . rnl-' vs 173 f 7 ng . mt-'). The catecholamine response was identical in both groups. The urinaryT/E ratio remained unchanged after the shooting trial and always remained lowerthan the International Olympic Committee limit of 6 . These results indicate that the psychological stress associated with competition increases the production of steroid hormones (testosterone, cortisol). and that this phenornenon is more pronounced in older athletes. These hormonal changes do not influence the urinary excretion of steroid metabolites used as criterion for drug testing. On

Evening Activities as a Potential Confound in Research on the Adrenocortical System in Children

“…Among elite adolescent athletes, competition increases cortisol concentrations such that cortisol tends to be high immediately preceding and during competition and falls quickly at the end of a competition to baseline levels (Passelergue & Lac, 1999). Psychological stress related to athletic competition is also associated with elevated plasma cortisol concentrations in nonaerobic sports such as shooting (Guezennac, Lafarge, Bricout, Merino, & Serruier, 1995). It is unclear whether younger, less experienced athletes would exhibit as rapid a recovery in cortisol as do adults or whether they would show prolonged activation well after cessation of sport activities.…”

O abuso de esteróides anabólico-androgênicos em atletismo

“…Outros estímulos também podem interferir neste ciclo. Há aumento significativo da testosterona plasmática após períodos de estresse agudo como em competições, no entanto, este aumento não traz implicações para os testes de urina antidoping 13 . A testosterona não é sustância ativa; na circulação age como pró-hormônio na formação de duas classes de esteróides: andrógenos 5-α-reduzidos (dihidrotestosterona), que são mediadores intracelulares da maioria das ações androgênicas, e estrógenos (estradiol), que potencializam alguns efeitos androgênicos, enquanto bloqueiam outros 12 .…”

“…Os EAA são freqüentemente utilizados por atletas concomitantemente com outras substâncias como hormônio do crescimento ou gonadotrofina coriônica humana e tamoxifen para mascarar os efeitos colaterais ou potencializar os efeitos anabólicos 13 . Por outro lado, existem várias combinações de EAA com vitaminas, estrógenos e outros medicamentos 12 .…”

Multivariate interpretation of the urinary steroid profile and training‐induced modifications. The case study of a Marathon runner

“…[30][31][32] The relationship between the stress due to competition and the increase of testosterone was demonstrated by Guezennec et al, who monitored the testosterone levels in plasma before and after pistol shooting, a competition that actually requires low body energy consumption, but a consistent level of concentration and stress. 30 Either increased or decreased steroidal concentrations in the case of winning or losing, respectively, was observed in athletes. 32 In the present case report, we explored the effect of training on the ABP of a volunteer amateur marathon runner, using the same multivariate PCA approach previously tested, 19 in order to verify the role and extent of physical training on the ABP variability.…”