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Persistent effects of a marathon run on the pituitary-testicular axis

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Abstract

Plasma levels of testosterone (T), LH, FSH, prolactin (PRL), cortisol (F), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS), noradrenaline(NA), NA sulfate (NAS), adrenaline (A) and A sulfate (AS) were measured in 7 adult males before and immediately after a marathon run as well as every morning for 5 days after the run. While plasma T levels fell significantly on the first and the second postmarathon day, those of LH rose significantly during the first 3 postrun days. Plasma PRL and F values increased significantly only at the end of the marathon. Plasma levels of NA and NAS rose significantly at the end of the run and again on days 2 and 5 postmarathon, respectively. A similar pattern was observed for A and AS except for the second peak of free A. These results show that a strenuous physical exercise leads to a persistent relative insensitivity to LH of the testicular T biosynthetic machinery, while the feedback mechanisms operating at the hypothalamic-pituitary level are normal. Furthermore, they suggest that catecholamines may be responsible for the prolonged inhibitory effect of stress on T biosynthesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit on Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Pediatric Research Center, Hôpital Sainte-Justine, 3175 Chemin Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3T IC5

    H. Tanaka, J. R. Ducharme &  R. Collu (Director)

  2. Department of Physiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    J. Cléroux & J. de Champlain

Authors
  1. H. Tanaka
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  2. J. Cléroux
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  3. J. de Champlain
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  4. J. R. Ducharme
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  5. R. Collu
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On leave of absence from the School of Physical Education of the University of Fukuoka, Japan.

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Tanaka, H., Cléroux, J., de Champlain, J. et al. Persistent effects of a marathon run on the pituitary-testicular axis. J Endocrinol Invest 9, 97–101 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348075

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03348075

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