Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth hormone and lactate responses induced by maximal isometric voluntary contractions and whole-body vibrations in healthy subjects

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background: In contrast with maximal voluntary resistance exercise, which is allegedly considered a potent GH stimulus in young subjects, evaluation of GH response to whole-body vibrations (WBV) has yielded conflicting results. Methods: The acute effects of WBV alone (test A), maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVC) (test B), and combination of WBV and MVC (test C) on serum GH and blood lactate (LA) levels were studied in 9 healthy adult males. Muscle soreness was assessed 24 and 48 h after exercise by a visual analogue scale. Results: GH responses were significantly higher after tests B and C than after test A (GH peaks: 18.8±9.5 ng/ml or 20.8±13.7 ng/ml, respectively, vs 4.3±3.5 ng/ml; p<0.05), with no difference between tests B and C. LA concentrations significantly increased after tests A, B, and C, being significantly higher after tests B and C than after test A (LA peaks: 2.0±0.5 mmol/l or 6.7±2.3 mmol/l, respectively, vs 7.6±0.9 mmol/l; p<0.05). Peak LA values were significantly correlated to GH peaks in the 3 tests (r=0.48; p<0.05). Muscle soreness was significantly higher 24–48 h after tests B and C than after test A, no significant differences being present between tests B and C. Conclusions: WBV stimulates GH secretion and LA production, with no additive effect when combined with repeated isometric voluntary contractions. Optimization of protocols based on WBV seems important to maximize the positive effects of this intervention on the somatotropic function. tis

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Widdowson WM, Healy ML, Sönksen PH, Gibney J. The physiology of growth hormone and sport. Growth Horm IGF Res 2009, 19: 308–19.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kanaley JA, Weltman JY, Veldhuis JD, Rogol AD, Hartman ML, Weltman A. Human growth hormone response to repeated bouts of aerobic exercise. J Appl Physiol 1997, 83: 1756–61.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Hagberg JM, Seals DR, Yerg JE, et al. Metabolic responses to exercise in young and older athletes and sedentary men. J Appl Physiol 1988, 65: 900–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Zaccaria M, Varnier M, Piazza P, Noventa D, Ermolao A. Blunted growth hormone response to maximal exercise in middleaged versus young subjects and no effect of endurance training. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999, 84: 2303–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Holt RI, Webb E, Pentecost C, Sönksen PH. Aging and physical fitness are more important than obesity in determining exercise-induced generation of GH. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001, 86: 5715–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. 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.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. 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.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Giannoulis MG, Boroujerdi MA, Powrie J, et al; GH-2000 Study Group. Gender differences in growth hormone response to exercise before and after rhGH administration and the effect of rhGH on the hormone profile of fit normal adults. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2005, 62: 315–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Kanaley JA, Weatherup-Dentes MM, Jaynes EB, Hartman ML. Obesity attenuates the growth hormone response to exercise. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999, 84: 3156–61.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Veldhuis JD, Liem AY, South S, et al. Differential impact of age, sex steroid hormones, and obesity on basal versus pulsatile growth hormone secretion in men as assessed in an ultrasensitive chemiluminescence assay. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1995, 80: 3209–22.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Luger A, Watschinger B, Deuster P, Svoboda T, Clodi M, Chrousos GP. Plasma growth hormone and prolactin responses to graded levels of acute exercise and to a lactate infusion. Neuroendocrinology 1992, 56: 112–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sutton JR. Hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise in subject of high and low work capacities. Med Sci Sports 1978, 10: 1–6.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Farrell PA, Garthwaite TL, Gustafson AB. Plasma adrenocorticotropin and cortisol responses to submaximal and exhaustive exercise. J Appl Physiol 1983, 55: 1441–4.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. 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.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Naveri H, Kuoppasalmi K, Härkönen M. Metabolic and hormonal changes in moderate and intense long-term running exercises. Int J Sports Med 1985, 6: 276–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Pritzlaff CJ, Wideman L, Weltman JY, et al. Impact of acute exercise intensity on pulsatile growth hormone release in men. J Appl Physiol 1999, 87: 498–504.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Gray AB, Telford RD, Weidemann MJ. Endocrine response to intense interval exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 1993, 66: 366–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Häkkinen K, Pakarinen A. Acute hormonal responses to two different fatiguing heavy-resistance protocols in male athletes. J Appl Physiol 1993, 74: 882–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Karagiorgos A, Garcia JF, Brooks GA. Growth hormone response to continuous and intermittent exercise. Med Sci Sports 1979, 11: 302–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Snegovskaya V, Viru A. Elevation of cortisol and growth hormone levels in the course of further improvement of performance capacityin trained rowers. Int J Sports Med 1993, 14: 202–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Hartley LH, Mason JW, Hogan RP, et al. Multiple hormonal responses to prolonged exercise in relation to physical training. J Appl Physiol 1972, 33: 607–10.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Wideman L, Consitt L, Patrie J, et al. The impact of sex and exercise duration on growth hormone secretion. J Appl Physiol 2006, 101: 1641–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Christensen SE, Jørgensen OL, Møller N, Orskov H. Characterization of growth hormone release in response to external heating. Comparison to exercise induced release. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1984, 107: 295–301.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Elias AN, Wilson AF, Naqvi S, Pandian MR. Effects of blood pH and blood lactate on growth hormone, prolactin, and gonadotropin release after acute exercise in male volunteers. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1997, 214: 156–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Nordlund MM, Thorstensson A. Strength training effects of wholebody vibration? Scand J Med Sci Sports 2007, 17: 12–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Wilcock IM, Whatman C, Harris N, Keogh JW. Vibration training: could it enhance the strength, power, or speed of athletes? J Strength Cond Res 2009, 23: 593–603.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Prisby RD, Lafage-Proust MH, Malaval L, Belli A, Vico L. Effects of whole body vibration on the skeleton and other organ systems in man and animal models: what we know and what we need to know. Ageing Res Rev 2008, 7: 319–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Totosy de Zepetnek JO, Giangregorio LM, Craven BC. Whole-body vibration as potential intervention for people with low bone mineral density and osteoporosis: a review. J Rehabil Res Dev 2009, 46: 529–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Bosco C, Iacovelli M, Tsarpela O, et al. Hormonal responses to whole-body vibration in men. EurJ Appl Physiol 2000, 81: 449–54.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Di Loreto C, Ranchelli A, Lucidi P, et al. Effects of whole-body vibration exercise on the endocrine system of healthy men. J Endocrinol Invest 2004, 27: 323–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Cardinale M, Soiza RL, Leiper JB, Gibson A, Primrose WR. Hormonal responses to a single session of whole body vibration exercise in elderly individuals. Br J Sports Med 2010, 44: 284–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Kvorning T, Bagger M, Caserotti P, Madsen K. Effects of vibration and resistance training on neuromuscular and hormonal measures. Eur J Appl Physiol 2006, 96: 615–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Breen L, Tipton KD, Jeukendrup AE. No Effect of Carbohydrate-Protein on Cycling Performance and Indices of Recovery. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2010, 42: 1140–8.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Gibney J, Healy ML, Sönksen PH. The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I axis in exercise and sport. Endocr Rev 2007, 28: 603–24.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Weltman A, Weltman JY, Roy CP, et al. Growth hormone response to graded exercise intensities is attenuated and the gender difference abolished in older adults. J Appl Physiol 2006, 100: 1623–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Giustina A, Veldhuis JD. Pathophysiology of the neuroregulation of growth hormone secretion in experimental animals and the human. Endocr Rev 1998, 19: 717–97.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Crewther B, Keogh J, Cronin J, Cook C. Possible stimuli for strength and power adaptation: acute hormonal responses. Sports Med 2006, 36: 215–38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Takarada Y, Nakamura Y, Aruga S, Onda T, Miyazaki S, Ishii N. Rapid increase in plasma growth hormone after low-intensity resistance exercise with vascular occlusion. J Appl Physiol 2000, 88: 61–5.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Greisen J, Juhl CB, Grøfte T, Vilstrup H, Jensen TS, Schmitz O. Acute pain induces insulin resistance in humans. Anesthesiology 2001, 95: 578–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Pullinen T, Mero A, Huttunen P, Pakarinen A, Komi PV. Hormonal responses to a resistance exercise performed under the influence of delayed onset muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res 2002, 16: 383–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Widdowson WM, Gibney J. The effect of growth hormone (GH) replacement on muscle strength in patients with GH-deficiency: a meta-analysis. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2010, 72: 787–92.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Tritos NA, Biller BM. Growth hormone and bone. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2009, 16: 415–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Clayton P, Gleeson H, Monson J, Popovic V, Shalet SM, Christiansen JS. Growth hormone replacement throughout life: insights into age-related responses to treatment. Growth Horm IGF Res 2007, 17: 369–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Johannsson G. Treatment of growth hormone deficiency in adults. Horm Res 2009, 71(Suppl 1): 116–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Kreitschmann-Andermahr I, Suarez P, Jennings R, Evers N, Brabant G. GH/IGF-I regulation in obesity—mechanisms and practical consequences in children and adults. Horm Res Paediatr 2010, 73: 153–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Laboratorio Sperimentale di Ricerche Auxo-endocrinologiche, IRCCS, Milan

    A. Sartorio, F. Agosti, A. De Col & N. Marazzi

  2. Facoltà di Scienze motorie, Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, L’Aquila

    F. Rastelli & S. Chiavaroli

  3. Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Segrate

    C. L. Lafortuna

  4. Dipartimento di Farmacologia Medica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Vanvitelli, 32, 20129, Milano, Italia

    S. G. Cella & A. E. Rigamonti MD

Authors
  1. A. Sartorio
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. Agosti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. De Col
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. N. Marazzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. F. Rastelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. S. Chiavaroli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. C. L. Lafortuna
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. S. G. Cella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. A. E. Rigamonti MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. E. Rigamonti MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sartorio, A., Agosti, F., De Col, A. et al. Growth hormone and lactate responses induced by maximal isometric voluntary contractions and whole-body vibrations in healthy subjects. J Endocrinol Invest 34, 216–221 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03347069

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03347069

Key-words

Search

Navigation