Reward Dependence-Moderated Noradrenergic and Hormonal Responses During Noncompetitive and Competitive Physical Activities

Abstract

The aim of this study was to reveal whether increased reward dependence (RD) plays a role in the catecholamine neurotransmitter release and testosterone hormone regulation during physical activities among healthy trained participants. Twenty-two male participants (mean age: 40.27 ± 5.4 years) participated in this study. Two conditions were constructed, namely, a noncompetitive and a competitive running task (RT), which were separated by a 2-week interval. Urine and blood samples were collected prior to and following the running tasks. Noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (A), dopamine (D), and their metabolites, vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and homovanillic acid (HVA), were measured from urine, while testosterone levels were analyzed from blood samples. RD was assessed using the Cloninger’s Personality Inventory (PI). Mental health was evaluated using the WHO Well-Being, Beck Depression, and Perceived Life Stress Questionnaires. According to our findings, levels of NA, A, D, VMA, and testosterone released underwent an increase following physical exertion, independently from the competitive condition of the RT, while HVA levels experienced a decrease. However, we found that testosterone levels showed a significantly lower tendency to elevate in the competitive RT, compared with the noncompetitive condition (p = 0.02). In contrast, HVA values were higher in the competitive compared with the noncompetitive condition (p = 0.031), both before and after the exercise. Considering the factor RD, in noncompetitive RT, its higher values were associated with elevated NA levels (p = 0.007); however, this correlation could not be detected during the competitive condition (p = 0.233). Among male runners, the NA and testosterone levels could be predicted to the degree of RD by analyzing competitive and noncompetitive physical exercises.

Physical exercise induces mental flow related to catecholamine levels in noncompetitive, but not competitive conditions in men

“…Levels of HVA were also higher in the competitive condition, as compared to the noncompetitive condition, however, its levels generally showed a significant decrease from pre-task to post-task. Similar data were reported in a previous study by Nagy et al 26 .…”

“…The change in pre-and-post-measured CATs in the noncompetitive and competitive conditions is identical to previously reported data 26 and show how in all conditions, the pre-and post-measured degree of the CATs concluding task completion significantly increased. The time and condition interaction indicate both NA and A play a vast role in exercise-induced neurotransmitters response.…”

“…The measured blood parameters did not show significant correlation between the non-competitive and the competitive running test as published before 26 .…”

“…Sports and regular physical training make use of the multiple mechanisms of the brain’s hemodynamic and neurotransmitter system, which is beneficial in the enhancement of the motoric skills, social and cognitive capabilities and support the physical and psychic health 22 – 24 . An earlier study focused on hobby runners found marked catecholamine changes in serum concentration and urine metabolites during physical challenges, namely, the exposition to a noncompetitive or competitive exercise; the D, NA and A concentration remains enhanced until task completion 25 , 26 . The main proposed question is the way in which this catecholamine undergoes change during exercise among individuals with different degrees of FS following the completion of a noncompetitive or competitive physical exercise.…”

“…(Hy2): The high score in the FS may be attributed with lower scores in anxiety and higher scores in self-confidence. Furthermore, (Hy3): as a previous study suggested 26 , the circulated amount of the CATs is associated with the demand for physical effort during exercise in noncompetitive and competitive conditions and will be increased to the end of the task completion, independently from the applied different conditions. The last yet not least hypothesis (Hy4): we suppose the amount of the excreted CATs will be lower in non-competitive than when compared with competitive conditions.…”