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Int J Sports Med 2002; 23(5): 307-312
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-33149
Physiology and Biochemistry
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Physical Stress and Qualitative Gonadotropin Secretion: LH Biological Activity at Rest and After Exercise in Trained and Untrained Men

L.  Di Luigi1 , L.  Guidetti1 , C.  Baldari1 , A.  Fabbri2 , C.  Moretti2 , F.  Romanelli3
  • 1Unit of Endocrinology, University Institute of Motor Sciences (I.U.S.M.), Rome, Italy
  • 2Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
  • 3Division of Andrology, Department of Medical Pathophysiology, University “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
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Accepted after revision: 22. October 2001

Publikationsdatum:
16. August 2002 (online)

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Abstract

Sports influence the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG). The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of physical stress on qualitative male LH secretion. We evaluated the HPG axis at rest and the LH response to a treadmill exercise (90 % of V˙O2max) in eight trained (running 50 to 70 km/week) and eight untrained subjects. FSH, total testosterone (T) and free testosterone (FT) were evaluated at rest by radioimmunoassay, whereas serum LH was evaluated both by radioimmunoassay (I-LH) and by a biological assay (RICT, B-LH), before (-30, -15, 0 pre) and after exercise (0 post, + 15, + 30, + 60 min). Semen analysis was performed. The results showed that the B/I LH ratio was significantly lower at rest in athletes than in controls (1.3 ± 0.5 and 2.1 ± 0.7 respectively, p < 0.05) and the B-LH and B/I LH ratio were reduced after exercise in controls (from 21.1 ± 5.7 to 13.9 ± 3.4 mIU/mL and from 2.3 ± 0.8 to 1.6 ± 0.4, at + 60 respectively, p < 0.05). T and FT were significantly lower in athletes compared with controls (4.18 ± 1.1 vs 5.96 ± 1.6 ng/ml and 24.3 ± 4.8 vs 29.7 ± 5.2 pg/ml respectively, p < 0.05). Semen parameters showed no difference. The B/I LH ratio could be a “marker” of altered LHRH secretion due to an exercise-linked adaptive condition.

Key words

Physical exercise - bioactive LH - FSH - semen - testosterone - free testosterone

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Prof. L. Di Luigi, MD

Laboratorio di Ricerche Endocrine · Istituto Universitario di Scienze Motorie/IUSM

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