Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Response of testosterone to prolonged aerobic exercise during different phases of the menstrual cycle

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the androgen response to exercise in women under conditions of high (H) and low (L) estrogen (E2) levels.

Methods

Ten exercise trained eumenorrheic women (mean ± SD: 20.0 ± 2.2 years, 58.7 ± 8.3 kg, 22.3 ± 4.9 % body fat, VO2max = 50.7 ± 9.0 mL/kg/min) completed a 60 min treadmill run at ~70 % of VO2max during both the mid-follicular (L-E2, 69.7 ± 7.3 % VO2max) and mid-luteal (H-E2, 67.6 ± 7.9 % VO2max) phases of their menstrual cycle. Blood samples were taken pre-exercise (PRE), immediately post (POST), and 30 min into recovery (30R) from exercise and analyzed for total testosterone using ELISA assays. Results were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA.

Results

Testosterone responses were (mean ± SD: L-E2, pre = 1.41 ± 0.21, post = 1.86 ± 0.21, 30R = 1.75 ± 0.32 nmol/L; H-E2, pre = 1.27 ± 0.23, post = 2.43 ± 0.56, 30R = 1.69 ± 0.34 nmol/L). Statistical analysis indicated no significant interaction existed between high and low estrogen conditions across the blood sampling times (p = 0.138). However, a main effect occurred for exercise (p < 0.004) with the post-testosterone concentration being greater than pre, although pre vs. 30R was not different (p > 0.05). All testosterone hormonal concentrations immediately post-exercise greatly exceeded the level of hemoconcentration observed during the L-E2 and H-E2 exercise sessions.

Conclusions

Prolonged aerobic exercise induces short-term elevations in testosterone in trained eumenorrheic women, which appears unrelated to estrogen levels and menstrual cycle phase. These increases may occur due to either increased androgen production and/or decreased degradation rates of the hormone, and are not solely the result of plasma fluid shifts from the exercise.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baker E, Mathur R, Kirk R, Landgrebe S, Moody L, Williamson H (1982) Plasma gonadotropins, prolactin, and steroid hormone concentrations in female runners immediately after a long- distance run. Fertil Steril 38:38–41

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cadoux-Hudson T, Few J, Imms F (1985) The effect of exercise on the production and clearance of testosterone in well trained young men. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 54:321–325

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Consitt LA, Copeland JL, Tremblay MS (2001) Hormone responses to resistance vs. endurance exercise in premenopausal females. Can J Appl Physiol 26(6):574–587

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Copeland JL, Consitt LA, Tremblay MS (2002) Hormonal responses to endurance and resistance exercise in females aged 19–69 years. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 57(4):158–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dill DB, Costill DL (1974) Calculation of percentage changes in volumes of blood, plasma, and red cells in dehydration. J Appl Physiol 37(2):247–248

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Enea C, Boisseau N, Ottavy M, Mulliez J, Millet C, Ingrand I, Diaz V, Duguâe B (2009) Effects of menstrual cycle, oral contraception, and training on exercise-induced changes in circulating DHEA-sulphate and testosterone in young women. Eur J Appl Physiol 106(3):365–373

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Enea C, Boisseau N, Fargeas-Gluck M, Diaz V, Dugue (2011) Circulating androgens in women: Exercise-induced changes. Sport Med 41(1):1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahrner CL, Hackney AC (1998) Effects of endurance exercise on free testosterone concentration and the binding affinity of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Int J Sport Med 19(1):12–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Filaire E, Duche P, Lac G (1998) Effects of amount of training on the saliva concentrations of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone and on the dehydroepiandrosterone: cortisol concentration ratio in women over 16 weeks of training. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 78:466–471

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fragala M, Kraemer W, Denegar C, Maresh C, Mastro A, Volek J (2011) Neuroendocrine-immune interactions and responses to exercise. Sport Med 41(8):621–639

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson L, Kraemer R, Haltom R, Kraemer G, Gaines H, Castracane V (1997) Effects of estrogen replacement therapy on dehydroepiandrosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and cortisol responses to exercise in postmenopausal women. Fertil Steril 68:836–843

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keizer HA, Becker E, de Haan J, Janssen GM, Kuipers H, van Kranenburg G, Geurten P (1987) Exercise-induced changes in the percentage of free testosterone and estradiol in trained and untrained women. Int J Sport Med 8:151–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kochańska-Dziurowicz A, Gawel-Szostek V, Gabryś T, Kmita D (2001) Changes in prolactin and testosterone levels induced by acute physical exertion in young female athletes. Hum Physiol 27(3):349–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer WJ, Fleck SJ, Dziados JE et al (1993) Changes in hormonal concentrations after different heavy-resistance exercise protocols in women. J Appl Physiol 75(2):594–604

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer RR, Heleniak RJ, Tryniecki JL et al (1995) Follicular and luteal phase hormonal responses to low-volume resistive exercise. Med Sci Sport Exerc 27(6):809–817

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kraemer RR, Acevedo EO, Synovitz LB, Hebert EP, Gimpel T, Castracane VD (2001) Leptin and steroid hormone responses to exercise in adolescent female runners over a 7-week season. Eur J Appl Physiol 86(1):85–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Misra M (2012) Effects of hypogonadism on bone metabolism in female adolescents and young adults. Nat Rev Endocrinol 8(7):395–404

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Puche C, Jose M, Cabero A, Meseguer A (2002) Expression and enzymatic activity of the P450c17 gene in human adipose tissue. Eur J Endocrinol 146(2):223–229

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schijf CP, van der Mooren MJ, Doesburg WH, Thomas CM, Rolland R (1993) Differences in serum lipids, lipoproteins, sex hormone binding globulin and testosterone between the follicular and the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Acta Endocrinol 129(2):130–133

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shahani S, Braga-Basaria M, Maggio M, Basaria S (2009) Androgens and erythropoiesis: past and present. J Endocrinol Invest 32(8):704–716

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay MS, Chu SY, Mureika R (1995) Methodological and statistical considerations for exercise-related hormone evaluations. Sport Med 20(2):90–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay MS, Copeland JL, Van Helder W (2004) Effect of training status and exercise mode on endogenous steroid hormones in men. J Appl Physiol 96:531–539

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Urhausen A, Kullmer T, Kindermann W (1987) A 7-week follow-up study of the behavior of testosterone and cortisol during the competition period in rowers. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 56(5):528–533

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vingren JL, Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA, Anderson JM, Volek JS, Maresh CM (2010) Testosterone physiology in resistance exercise and training: the up-stream regulatory elements. Sport Med 40(12):1037–1053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webb ML, Wallace JP, Hamill C, Hodgson JL, Mashaly MM (1984) Serum testosterone concentration during two hours of moderate intensity treadmill running in trained men and women. Endocr Res 10(1):27–38

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wood RI, Stanton SJ (2012) Testosterone and sport: current perspectives. Horm Behav 61(1):147–155

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the research subject who volunteered their time and effort in this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

The authors declare that the experiments comply with the current laws of the United States of America.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina, CB # 8700 Fetzer Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA

    C. B. O’Leary, C. Lehman, K. Koltun, A. Smith-Ryan & A. C. Hackney

Authors
  1. C. B. O’Leary
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Lehman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. Koltun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Smith-Ryan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. A. C. Hackney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. C. Hackney.

Additional information

Communicated by Fabio Fischetti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

O’Leary, C.B., Lehman, C., Koltun, K. et al. Response of testosterone to prolonged aerobic exercise during different phases of the menstrual cycle. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 2419–2424 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2680-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-013-2680-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation