Acta Physiologica Hungarica
Volume/Issue:
Volume 102: Issue 3
Menstrual cycle phase effects free testosterone responses to prolonged aerobic exercise
Authors:
AR Lane Endocrine Section — Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Exercise & Sport Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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CB O’Leary Endocrine Section — Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Exercise & Sport Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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AC Hackney Endocrine Section — Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Exercise & Sport Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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Pages:
336–341
Online Publication Date:
Sep 2015
Publication Date:
01 Sep 2015
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1556/036.102.2015.3.11
Keywords:
endocrine; menstrual cycle; women; training; androgens; hormone
Restricted access

Research has shown that total testosterone (tT) levels in women increase acutely during a prolonged bout of aerobic exercise. Few studies, however, have considered the impact of the menstrual cycle phase on this response or have looked at the biologically active free testosterone (fT) form responses. Therefore, this study examined the fT concentration response independently and as a percentage (fT%) of tT to prolonged aerobic exercise during phases of the menstrual cycle with low estrogen-progesterone (L-EP; i.e., follicular phase) and high estrogen-progesterone (H-EP; i.e., luteal phase). Ten healthy, recreationally trained, eumennorrheic women (X ± SD: age = 20 ± 2 y, mass = 58.7 ± 8.3 kg, body fat = 22.3 ± 4.9 %, VO2max = 50.7 ± 9.0 ml/kg/min) participated in a laboratory based study and completed a 60-minute treadmill run during the L-EP and H-EP menstrual phases at ~70% of VO2max. Blood was drawn prior to (PRE), immediately after (POST) and following 30 minutes of recovery (30POST) with each 60-minute run. During H-EP, there was a significant increase in fT concentrations from PRE to POST (p < 0.01) while in L-EP fT levels were unchanged; which resulted in fT being significantly higher at H-EP POST versus L-EP POST (p < 0.03). Area-under-the-curve (AUC) responses were calculated, for fT the total AUC was greater in H-EP than L-EP (p < 0.04). There was no significant interaction of fT% between phases and exercise sampling time. There was, however, a main effect for exercise where fT% POST was a greater proportion of tT than at PRE (p < 0.01). In summary, hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle impact fT response to a prolonged aerobic exercise bout; specifically, there being higher levels under H-EP conditions. This suggests more biologically active T is available during exercise in this phase. This response may be a function of the higher core temperatures found with H-EP causing greater sex hormone binding protein release of T, or could be a function of greater degrees of glandular production. Further work is warranted to elucidate the mechanism of this occurrence. It is recommended that researchers examining T responses to exercise in women look at both tT and fT forms in order to have an accurate endocrine assessment in women.

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Cover Acta Physiologica Hungarica
Acta Physiologica Hungarica
Print ISSN:
0231-424X
Online ISSN:
1588-2683

Senior editors

Editor(s)-in-Chief: Rosivall, László

Honorary Editor(s)-in-Chief): Monos, Emil

Managing Editor(s): Bartha, Jenő; Berhidi, Anna

Co-editor(s): Koller, Ákos; Lénárd, László; Szénási, Gábor

Assistant Editor(s): G. Dörnyei (Budapest), Zs. Miklós (Budapest), Gy. Nádasy (Budapest)

Hungarian Editorial Board

    1. Benedek, György (Szeged)
    1. Benyó, Zoltán (Budapest)
    1. Boros, Mihály (Szeged)
    1. Chernoch, László (Debrecen)
    1. Détári, László (Budapest)
    1. Hamar, János (Budapest)
    1. Hantos, Zoltán (Szeged)
    1. Hunyady, László (Budapest)
    1. Imre, Sándor (Debrecen)
    1. Jancsó, Gábor (Szeged)
    1. Karádi, Zoltán (Pécs)
    1. Kovács, László (Debrecen)
    1. Palkovits, Miklós (Budapest)
    1. Papp, Gyula (Szeged)
    1. Pavlik, Gábor (Budapest)
    1. Spät, András (Budapest)
    1. Szabó, Gyula (Szeged)
    1. Szelényi, Zoltán (Pécs)
    1. Szolcsányi, János (Pécs)
    1. Szollár, Lajos (Budapest)
    1. Szücs, Géza (Debrecen)
    1. Telegdy, Gyula (Szeged)
    1. Toldi, József (Szeged)
    1. Tósaki, Árpád (Debrecen)

International Editorial Board

    1. R. Bauer (Jena)
    1. W. Benjelloun (Rabat)
    1. A. W. Cowley Jr. (Milwaukee)
    1. D. Djuric (Belgrade)
    1. C. Fry (London)
    1. S. Greenwald (London)
    1. O. Hänninen (Kuopio)
    1. H. G. Hinghofer-Szalkay (Graz)
    1. Th. Kenner (Graz)
    1. Gy. Kunos (Richmond)
    1. M. Mahmoudian (Tehran)
    1. T. Mano (Seki, Gifu)
    1. G. Navar (New Orleans)
    1. H. Nishino (Nagoya)
    1. O. Petersen (Liverpool)
    1. U. Pohl (Münich)
    1. R. S. Reneman (Maastricht)
    1. A. Romanovsky (Phoenix)
    1. G. M. Rubanyi (Richmond)
    1. T. Sakata (Oita)
    1. A. Siddiqui (Karachi)
    1. Cs. Szabo (Beverly)
    1. E. Vicaut (Paris)
    1. N. Westerhof (Amsterdam)
    1. L. F. Zhang (Xi'an)

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Editorial Correspondence:
Acta Physiologica Hungarica
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Nagyvárad tér 4, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary
Phone/Fax: +36-1-2100-100
E-mail: aph@semmelweis-univ.hu

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Acta Physiologica Hungarica
Language English
Size  
Year of
Foundation		 1950
Publication
Programme		 changed title
Volumes
per Year		  
Issues
per Year		  
Founder Magyar Tudományos Akadémia
Founder's
Address		 H-1051 Budapest, Hungary, Széchenyi István tér 9.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0231-424X (Print)
ISSN 1588-2683 (Online)

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