Full Description
Since the observation in the 19th century that an extract of the suprarenal bodies injected into the circulation caused a rise in blood pressure, the endocrine system has become a major component in our understanding of human physiology. The introduction of radioimmunoassay techniques and the ability to measure minimal amounts of hor mones (a term derived from the Greek "to excite") have shown that acute exercise causes a release of a large number of hormones and that chronic exercise may further lead to long-term alterations in endocrine homeostasis. Actually, almost every organ and system in the body is affected by physical activity and exercise, much of it through the endocrine and neuroendocrine system. Investigation ofthe effect of acute or chronic physical activity on the endocrine system is a complex matter since the stimulus called "exercise" has many components, such as mode, intensity, duration, and others. In addition, several other factors, such as age, gender, training status, body temperature, circadian rhythm, metabolic state, menstrual cycle, and various external conditions as well as psychological factors, can modify the effect of physical activity on hormonal secretion. Moreover, the physiol9gical stimulus of exercise often provokes several and parallel cascades of biochemical and endocrine changes. It is therefore often extremely difficult to distinguish between primary and secondary events and between cause and effect. These limitations will be discussed in Chapter 1.
Contents
1 Hormonal Response to Exercise: Methodological Considerations.- 2 Exercise and Endogenous Opiates.- 3 The Effect of Exercise on the Hypothalamo—Pituitary—Adrenal Axis.- 4 Impact of Chronic Training on Pituitary Hormone Secretion in the Human.- 5 Exercise and the Growth Hormone—Insulin—Like Growth Factor-1 Axis.- 6 Thyroid Function and Exercise.- 7 The Male Reproductive System, Exercise, and Training.- 8 Exercise and the Hypothalamus: Ovulatory Adaptions.- 9 Exercise Training in the Normal Female: Effects of Exercise Stress and Energy Availablility on Metabolic Hormones and LH Pulsatility.- 10 Adrenergic Regulation of Energy Metabolism.- 11 Energy Balance and Weight Control: Endocrine Considerations.- 12 Hormonal Regulation of Fluid Homeostasis During and Following Exercise.- 13 Diabetes and Exercise.- 14 Hormonal Regulations of the Effects of Exercise on Bone: Postive and Negative Effects.- 15 The Role of Exercise in the Attainment of Peak Bone Mass and Bone Strength.- 16 Interrelationships Between Acute and Chronic Exercise and the Immune and Endocrine Systems.- 17 Exercise and the Developing Child: Endocrine Considerations.- 18 Exercise and the Female Reproductive System: The Effect of Hormonal Status on Performance.- 19 Exercise and Pregnancy: Hormonal Considerations.- 20 The Endocrine System in Overtraining.- 21 The Effects of Altitude on the Hormonal Responses to Exercise.- 22 Exercise, Circadian Rhythms, and Hormones.- 23 Physical Activity and Mood: The Endocrine Connection.- 24 Hormones as Performance-Enhancing Drugs.
