Pituitary-adrenal responses to arm versus leg exercise in untrained man

Document Type

Journal Article

Publisher

Springer

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

School

School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Science / Centre for Exercise and Sports Science Research

RAS ID

8678

Comments

Maresh, C. M., Sökmen, B., Kraemer, W. J., Hoffman, J. R., Watson, G., Judelson, D. A., ... & Armstrong, L. E. (2006). Pituitary–adrenal responses to arm versus leg exercise in untrained man. European journal of applied physiology, 97(4), 471.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine pituitary–adrenal (PA) hormone responses [beta-endorphin (β-END), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol] to arm exercise (AE) and leg exercise (LE) at 60 and 80% of the muscle-group specific VO2 peak. Eight healthy untrained men (AE VO2 peak=32.4±3.0 ml kg−1 min−1, LE VO2 peak=46.9±5.3 ml kg−1 min−1) performed two sub-maximal AE and LE tests in random order. Plasma β-END, ACTH and cortisol were not different (P>0.05) between AE and LE at either exercise intensity; the 60% testing elicited no changes from pre-exercise (PRE) values. For 80% testing, plasma β-END, ACTH and cortisol were consistently, but not significantly, greater during LE than AE. In general, plasma β-END and ACTH were higher (P<0.05) during 80% exercise, than PRE, for both AE and LE. Plasma cortisol was elevated (P<0.05) above PRE during 80% LE, and following 80% for both AE and LE. Plasma ACTH was higher (P<0.05) during 80% LE and AE versus 60% LE and AE, respectively. Plasma β-END and cortisol were significantly higher during and immediately after 80% LE than 60% LE. Thus, plasma β-END, ACTH and cortisol responses were similar for AE and LE at the two relative exercise intensities, with the intensity threshold occurring somewhere between 60 and 80% of VO2 peak. It appears that the smaller muscle mass associated with AE was sufficient to stimulate these PA axis hormones in a manner similar to LE, despite the higher metabolic stress (i.e., plasma La-) associated with LE.

DOI

10.1007/s00421-006-0198-5

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1007/s00421-006-0198-5