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Int J Sports Med 2006; 27(9): 709-717
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-872931
Physiology & Biochemistry

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Salivary Steroids at Rest and After a Training Load in Young Male Athletes: Relationship with Chronological Age and Pubertal Development

L. Di Luigi1 , C. Baldari2 , M. C. Gallotta2 , F. Perroni3 , F. Romanelli4 , A. Lenzi4 , L. Guidetti3
  • 1Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Health Sciences, “Istituto Universitario di Scienze Motorie” (IUSM), Rome, Italy
  • 2Unit of Exercise Science, Department of Health Sciences, “Istituto Universitario di Scienze Motorie” (IUSM), Rome, Italy
  • 3Unit of Physical Education and Recreation, Department of Health Sciences, “Istituto Universitario di Scienze Motorie” (IUSM), Rome, Italy
  • 4Department of Medical Physiopathology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
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Publication History

Accepted after revision: September 12, 2005

Publication Date:
06 December 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Puberty influences both the performance and the hormonal responses to exercise-related stress. We evaluated the distribution and the correlation between pubertal characteristics and the salivary cortisol (sC) and testosterone (sT) responses to acute physical exercise in young male athletes (13.4 ± 2.1 yr, n = 110). The mean pre-exercise nmol · L-1 sC and sT concentrations were 19.08 ± 4.32 and 0.34 ± 0.15 and increased to 21.27 ± 5.51 and 0.41 ± 0.16 after a 90-min training session (p < 0.01). The sC concentration at rest was positively correlated with chronological age (p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with fat % (p < 0.05), whereas significant negative correlations of ΔsC and ΔsC% after exercise with age, pubertal stage and mean testis volume (p < 0.05) were observed. The sT increase after exercise was correlated with chronological age, pubertal stage and pre-exercise sT levels (p < 0.01), whereas the ΔsT and ΔsT% of increase were negatively correlated with chronological age and resting sT levels (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). In the present study, we observed the presence of high inter-individual variability of different biological parameters (anthropometry, pubertal stage, hormones, etc.) within athletes selected by chronological age in the same class and the presence of significant correlations between chronological age, puberty and the steroid hormone responses to physical exercise. Our data suggest the need for different criteria in exercise prescription and selection of young athletes and in the evaluation of stress reactivity at puberty.

Key words

Testosterone - cortisol - puberty - soccer

References

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MD L. Di Luigi

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