Physical exercise and catecholamines response: benefits and health risk: possible mechanisms

Abstract

Beneficial effect of regular moderate physical exercise (PE) and negative effect of severe exercise and/or overtraining as an activator of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) have been shown in numerous aspects of human health, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, neurological disease, depression, and some types of cancer. Moderate-to-vigorous PE stimulates the SNS activation, releasing catecholamines (CATs) adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine that play an important regulatory and modulatory actions by affecting metabolic processes and the immune system. Summary of the dispersed literature in this area and explanation of the biological mechanisms operating between PE-CATs and the immune system would lead to a better understanding of the beneficial and negative effects of PE on health. This overview aimed to: demonstrate representative literature findings on the exercise released CATs levels, major functions performed by these hormones, their interactions with immune system and their effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Also, mechanisms of cytotoxic free radicals and reactive oxygen species generation during CATs oxidation, and molecular mechanisms of CATs response to exercise are discussed to demonstrate positive and negative on human health effects. Owing to the large body of the subject literature, we present a representative cross-section of the published studies in this area.The results show a significant role of CATs in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, immunity and as generators of reactive oxygen species, depending on PE intensity and duration. Further investigation of the PE-CATs relationship should validate CATs levels to optimize safe intensity and duration of exercise and individualize their prescription, considering CATs to be applied as markers for a dose of exercise. Also, a better understanding of the biological mechanisms is also needed.

Is a high-intensity exercise test better than a graded exercise test in eliciting exercise-related arrhythmias?

“…However, the degree of sympathetic activation during exercise is not uniform, but rather influenced by several factors. Exercise intensity is the primary determinant of catecholaminergic response to exercise so that for a given exercise duration, catecholamines exponentially increase with higher intensity, in particular when high intensity is achieved quickly and performed beyond the maximal aerobic power 15 . Other lesser factors are longer duration of exercise, which is associated with continuously increasing catecholamines concentrations if performed at submaximal levels, and prior physical training, with higher adrenaline concentrations in trained versus untrained subjects at the same relative intensity 15 .…”

“…Exercise intensity is the primary determinant of catecholaminergic response to exercise so that for a given exercise duration, catecholamines exponentially increase with higher intensity, in particular when high intensity is achieved quickly and performed beyond the maximal aerobic power 15 . Other lesser factors are longer duration of exercise, which is associated with continuously increasing catecholamines concentrations if performed at submaximal levels, and prior physical training, with higher adrenaline concentrations in trained versus untrained subjects at the same relative intensity 15 . It is also important to mention that catecholamines continue to rise after cessation of exercise, reaching a peak level within the first minute after exercise termination 13 .…”

“… 15 Other lesser factors are longer duration of exercise, which is associated with continuously increasing catecholamine concentrations if performed at submaximal levels, and prior physical training, with higher adrenaline concentrations in trained vs untrained subjects at the same relative intensity. 15 It is also important to mention that catecholamines continue to rise after cessation of exercise, reaching a peak level within the first minute after exercise termination. 13 These observations support the concept that a HIXT, and most likely a repetitive sprint-based running protocol, tailored to the physical training level of the patient, may be more suitable than GXT in the attempt to reproduce arrhythmias in patients with exercise-related symptoms.…”

Effects of exercise-conditioned serum on cancer cell behaviour in vitro: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Exercise is a diverse stimulus, which at different intensities, durations and modes confers very different serological responses. 50,51,52 Therefore, it can be speculated that the diversity of the exercise protocols included in this review would differentially affect serum-stimulated cancer cell behaviour and explain a great proportion of the heterogeneity. To date, no studies have directly compared the effects of different exercise characteristics on cancer cell behaviour, making this a key area for future research, both from the perspective of exercise prescription and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.…”

Effect of Regular Physical Exercise on the Progression of Erectile Dysfunction Among Male Patients with Diabetes Mellitus

“…Over releasing of catecholamines i.e., noradrenaline, adrenaline, and dopamine, plays an essential regulatory action on cardiovascular circulation. [83] Physical exercise on acute phase cause catecholamines to increase heart rate and systolic blood pressure besides other systematic effects. The sensible explanation for long term effects of PE in DM patients are the followings: [84][85][86] 1) Decrease on resting heart rate is secondary to the relative physiological increase on the left ventricular muscle mass and increase on related cardiac output.…”