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Int J Sports Med 1998; 19(1): 20-25
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-971874
Physiology and Biochemistry

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Responsiveness of Plasma 2- and 4-Hydroxycatecholestrogens to Training and to Graduated Submaximal and Maximal Exercise in an Untrained Woman

C. De Crée1 , P. Ball2 , B. Seidlitz2 , G. Van Kranenburg3 , P. Geurten3 , H. A. Keizer3
  • 1Interuniversity Project on Reproductive Endocrinology in Women and Exercise, Department of Applied and Experimental Reproductive Endocrinology, The Institute for Gyneco-Endocrinological Research, Leuven 3, Belgium
  • 2Interuniversity Project on Reproductive Endocrinology in Women and Exercise, Institute for Biochemical and Clinical Endocrinology, Medical University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
  • 3Interuniversity Project on Reproductive Endocrinology in Women and Exercise, Department of Movement Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Publication Date:
09 March 2007 (online)

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A single-subject experimental design was used to obtain some preliminary findings on the plasma responses of catechol-estrogens (CE) to acute exercise and brief, but exhaustive training on a cycle ergometer. One previously untrained eumenorrheic female (body fat: 26 % VO2max: 43.3 ml · kg-1 · min-1) participated in this study. Resting CE levels were for „total” (unconjugated + conjugated) 2-hydroxyestrogens (2-OHE) 162 pg/ ml and 350 pg/ml in the follicular (FPh) and luteal phase (LPh), respectively. Plasma total 4-hydroxyestrogen (4-OHE) levels were 41 pg/ml in the FPh and 66 pg/ml in the LPh. For "total" 2-methoxyestrogens (2-MeOE), we found 257 pg/ml in the FPh and 374 pg/ml in the LPh. Resting levels of 2-hydroxy CE following a period of brief, intensive training were decreased during the LPh (2-OHE: - 38 %; 2-MeOE: - 19 %), whereas 4-hydroxy CE were unaffected. After training, the formation of CE as expressed by the 2-OHE:E and 4-OHE:E ratios, was increased by 75 % and 200 % at rest, respectively. CE activity or O-methylation, as estimated from the 2-MeOE:2-OHE ratio, was higher following training (FPh:+ 22 %; LPh:+ 30 %). During acute exercise before training, we observed a small rise proportional to the exercise intensity in the plasma "total" primary estrogen concentrations (FPh: + 28 %; LPh: + 16 %), and no changes in either 2-OHE or 2 MeOE levels. Plasma concentrations of 4-OHE, however, doubled during maximal exercise intensity. The 2-OHE:E and 2-MeOE:2-OHE ratios did not alter during incremental exercise. Training effects on acute exercise responses were only noticed for 4-OHE, which contrary to pre-training conditions, now progessively decreased. The major findings of this study are that in response to training: a) during rest, a greater proportion of CE are formed from a lower amout of precursor hormone, b) the rate of O-methylation of CE increases.

Key words

Catecholamines - catecholestrogens - COMT - estrogens - menstrual cycle - women