Abstract
Intense physical exercise activates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis but little is known about changes in glucocorticoid sensitivity at the target cell level. No data are available on the acute effects of exercise on 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) type 1 activity, which generates biologically active cortisol from inactive cortisone and is expressed also in skeletal muscle. Fifteen healthy, trained males (age mean ± SE 28 ± 1) were assessed on three non-consecutive days: at rest, during an endurance and strength sessions. During each session, between 1000 and 1600 hours, 6-h urine and four salivary samples were collected. Urinary total tetrahydrocortisol (THF) + alloTHF, tetrahydrocortisone (THE), cortisol (F) and cortisone (E) were measured with HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry; urinary-unconjugated F and E were measured by HPLC-UV. Salivary cortisol and interleukin (IL)-6 were measured by RIA and ELISA, respectively. Both endurance and strength exercises caused an increase in (THF + alloTHF)/THE ratio (mean ± SE 1.90 ± 0.07 and 1.82 ± 0.05 vs. 1.63 ± 0.06, P < 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively), consistent with increased systemic 11β-HSD type 1 activity. No relationship was found with age, BMI, \( V{{{\text{O}}_{2\max } }} , \) maximal power load or perceived exertion. No significant change was apparent in F/E ratio, an index of 11β-HSD type 2 activity. No effect of exercise on salivary cortisol and IL-6 was observed, whereas a significant effect of sampling time was found. Intense physical exercise acutely increases systemic 11β-HSD type 1 activity in humans. Such an increase may lead to higher cortisol concentration in target tissues, notably in skeletal muscle where it could contribute to limit exercise-induced muscle inflammatory response.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from Regione Piemonte—Ricerca Sanitaria Finalizzata; Dr. C. Sciolla was supported by Progetto Lagrange—Fondazione CRT, Turin, Italy. The authors wish to thank the Facoltà di Scienze Motorie, Università degli Studi di Milano, for acquiring the FitMate-pro instrument and the actigraphs, Dr. E. Bianco and Dr. E. Palmas for their cooperation and Mrs. A. Termine for performing salivary cortisol assay. Dr. A. Dovio has been awarded a Young Investigator Travel Award for the oral presentation of this work during The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting held in San Francisco, USA, June 15–18, 2008. The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement by ACSM.
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Communicated by William Kraemer.
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Dovio, A., Roveda, E., Sciolla, C. et al. Intense physical exercise increases systemic 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 activity in healthy adult subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol 108, 681–687 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1265-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1265-5