Abstract
Ninety-nine Italian elite athletes (61 M, 38 F, mean age±SE: 24.1±0.6 yr, age range: 17–47 yr) of different disciplines volunteered to participate in this investigation. Basal GH concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.0001) in females (6.2±1.1 ng/ml) vs males (1.9±0.5 ng/ml). Basal GH values were negatively correlated with age and body mass index (BMI); no significant correlation was found between GH and IGF-I levels. Among female athletes, 8/38 had basal GH values higher than 10 ng/ml [2/8 athletes were taking oral contraceptives (OC)], while among males 6/61 had values higher than 5 ng/ml. In females, training sessions significantly increased (p<0.0001) basal GH concentrations (peak GH: 18.5±1.9 ng/ml), while in males GH responses were lower than in females (11.8±1.4 ng/ml, vs F: p<0.005). Six out of 38 female and 6/61 male athletes were considered GH hypo-responders (i.e. negative difference between peak GH and basal GH values), the large majority of them being subjects with elevated basal GH concentrations. In responsive athletes, peak GH values occurred immediately at the end of the training session both in males and in females; GH concentrations rapidly declined during recovery. No significant correlations were found between peak GH and age, body weight and BMI in either gender. GH responses were directly related (p<0.001) to the intensity of the workload during the sessions. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that: 1) some elite athletes had increased GH concentrations before training, which were however associated with normal IGF-I levels; 2) GH peaks after a discipline-specific training session were significantly higher in females than in males performing the same discipline, gender-related differences disappearing when post-exercise total GH outputs (area under the curve) were compared; 3) peak GH values were directly correlated with training workload; 4) GH concentrations rapidly declined during recovery, values at the end of the post-training GH sampling being generally lower than those found in basal condition.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lukaszewska J, Biczowa B, Boliewicz D, Wilk M, Obuchowica-Fedelus B. Effect of physical exercise on plasma cortisol and growth hormone levels in young weight lifters. Endokrynol Pol 1976, 27: 149–58.
Karagiorgos A, Garcia J, Brooks GA. Growth hormone response to continuous exercise. Med Sci Exerc 1979, 11: 302–7.
Kindermann J. Growth hormone response to aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 1982, 49: 389–99.
Van Helder WP, Goode RC, Radomski M. Effect of anaerobic and aerobic exercise of equal duration and work expenditure on plasma growth hormone levels. Eur J Appl Physiol 1984, 52: 255–7.
Bunt JC, Boileau RA, Bahr JM, Nelson RA. Sex and training differences in human growth hormone levels during prolonged exercise. J Appl Physiol 1986, 61: 1796–801.
Kraemer W, Marchitelli L, Gordon S, Fleck S. Hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise protocols. J Appl Physiol 1990, 69: 1442–50.
Cuneo RC, Wallace JD. Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factors and sport. Endocrinol Metab 1994, 1: 3–13.
Jenkins PJ. Growth hormone and exercise. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1999, 50: 683–9.
Kraemer WJ, Dudley GA, Tesch PA, et al. The influence of muscle action on the acute growth hormone response to resistance exercise and short-term detraining. Growth Horm IGF Res 2001, 11: 75–83.
Hansen P, Weeke J. Fasting serum growth hormone levels and growth hormone responses to exercise during normal menstrual cycles and cycles of oral contraceptives. Scand. J Clin Lab Invest 1974, 34: 199–205.
Kanaley JA, Boileau RA, Bahr JA, Misner JE, Nelson RA. Substrate oxidation and GH responses to exercise are indipendent of menstrual phase and status. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1992, 24: 873–80.
Raynaud J, Capderou A, Durand J. Intersubject variability in growth hormone time course during different types of work. J Appl Physiol 1983, 55: 1682–7.
Deurenberg P. International consensus conference on impedance in body composition. Age Nutr 1994, 5: 142–5.
Muller EE, Locatelli V, Cocchi D. Neuroendocrine control of growth hormone secretion. Physiol Rev 1999, 79: 511–607.
Wideman L, Weltman JY, Shah N, Story S, Veldhuis JD, Weltman A. Effects of gender on exercise-induced growth hormone release. J Appl Physiol 1999, 87: 1154–62.
Kraemer WJ, Gordon SE, Fleck SJ, et al. Endogenous anabolic hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise in males and females. Int J Sports Med 1991, 12: 228–35.
Bazán MC, Barontini M, Domene H, Stefano FJ, Bergadá C. Effects of alpha-bromocriptine on pituitary hormone secretion. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1981, 52: 314–8.
Bernardes RP, Radomski MW. Growth hormone responses to continuous and intermittent exercise in females under oral contraceptive therapy. Eur J Appl Physiol 1998, 79: 24–9.
Bonen A, Haynes FW, Graham TE. Substrate and hormonal responses to exercise in women using oral contraceptives. J Appl Physiol 1991, 70: 1917–27.
Kraemer WJ, Häkkinen K, Newton RU, et al. Acute hormonal responses to heavy resistance exercise in younger and older men. Eur J Appl Physiol 1998, 77: 206–11.
Felsing NE, Brasel JA, Cooper DM. Effect of low and high intensity exercise on circulating growth hormone in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1992, 75: 157–62.
Luger A, Watshinger B, Deutser P, Svoboda T, Clodi M, Chrousos GP. Plasma growth hormone and prolactin responses to graded levels of acute exercise and to lactate infusion. Neuroendocrinology 1992, 56:112–7.
Hakkinen K, Pakarinen A. Acute hormonal response to two different fatiguing heavy-resistance protocols in male athletes. J Appl Physiol 1993, 74: 882–7.
Nevill ME, Holmyard DJ, Hall GM, et al. Growth hormone responses to treadmill sprinting in sprint- and endurancetrained athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1996, 72: 460–7.
Gotshalk LA, Loebel CC, Nindl BC, et al. Hormonal responses of multiset versus single-set heavy-resistance exercise protocols. Can. J Appl Physiol 1997, 22: 244–55.
Sonksen PH. Insulin, growth hormone and sport. J Endocrinol 2001, 170: 13–25.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sartorio, A., Agosti, F., Marazzi, N. et al. Gender-, age-, body composition- and training workloaddependent differences of GH response to a disciplinespecific training session in elite athletes: A study on the field. J Endocrinol Invest 27, 121–129 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346256
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03346256