Basal levels of hormones were mostly normal in athletes with OTS/FOR/NFOR compared with healthy athletes .
Distinctly , stimulation tests , mainly performed in maximal exercise conditions , showed blunted GH and ACTH responses in OTS/FOR/NFOR athletes , whereas cortisol and plasma catecholamines showed conflicting findings and the other hormones responded normally .
Conclusion Basal hormone levels are not good predictor but blunted ACTH and GH responses to stimulation tests may be good predictors of OTS/FOR/NFOR
Background Overtraining syndrome ( OTS ) , functional ( FOR ) and non-functional overreaching ( NFOR ) are conditions diagnosed in athletes with decreased performance and fatigue , triggered by metabolic , immune , hormonal and other dysfunctions and result ed from an imbalance between training stress and proper recovery .
Despite previous descriptions , there is a lack of a review that discloses all hormonal findings in OTS/FOR/NFOR .
The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate whether and which roles hormones play in OTS/FOR/NFOR .
Relationships between testosterone, cortisol and performance in professional cyclists.
In the literature the use of plasma levels of cortisol and the testosterone and testosterone : cortisol ratio for training management is encouraged . Decreased levels of testosterone and increased levels of cortisol are suggested to be indicative for a disturbance in the anabolic-catabolic balance , which may express itself in decreased performance . The purpose of the study was to examine if the acute hormonal response to a bout of exercise and the resting levels of testosterone , luteinizing hormone ( LH ) and cortisol are correlated to performance in cyclists . In addition , the effect of training on this correlation was studied . Ten professional cyclists participated and measurements took place before and after a defined period of training . Maximum workload ( Pmax ) , determined on a cycle-ergometer with a slowly increasing protocol , increased by 30 watt ( p < 0.001 ) . Workload at a lactate level of 4 mmol/l ( P4 ) increased by 18 watt ( p < 0.05 ) . Post training , resting testosterone levels decreased from 28.8 + /- 74 nmol/l to 24.6 + /- 90 nmol/l ( p < 0.05 ) . Resting cortisol levels increased from 272 + /- 110 nmol/l pre training to 379 + /- 242 nmol/l post training ( p < 0.05 ) . These results indicate an increased catabolic state . The acute hormonal response and the resting levels of LH were not changed post training . The resting levels of testosterone and cortisol and the acute response to exercise showed no correlation with performance pre and post training . In spite of an increased catabolic state post training there was an increase in performance . These results suggest that in endurance trained cyclists , decreased testosterone levels , increased cortisol levels and a decreased testosterone : cortisol ratio does not automatically lead to a decrease in performance or a state of overtraining
Basal levels of hormones were mostly normal in athletes with OTS/FOR/NFOR compared with healthy athletes .
Distinctly , stimulation tests , mainly performed in maximal exercise conditions , showed blunted GH and ACTH responses in OTS/FOR/NFOR athletes , whereas cortisol and plasma catecholamines showed conflicting findings and the other hormones responded normally .
Conclusion Basal hormone levels are not good predictor but blunted ACTH and GH responses to stimulation tests may be good predictors of OTS/FOR/NFOR
Background Overtraining syndrome ( OTS ) , functional ( FOR ) and non-functional overreaching ( NFOR ) are conditions diagnosed in athletes with decreased performance and fatigue , triggered by metabolic , immune , hormonal and other dysfunctions and result ed from an imbalance between training stress and proper recovery .
Despite previous descriptions , there is a lack of a review that discloses all hormonal findings in OTS/FOR/NFOR .
The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate whether and which roles hormones play in OTS/FOR/NFOR .