ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2019 April;59(4):700-7

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.18.08533-X

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Changes in hormone levels of participants in a 622-km ultramarathon race based on distance and recovery period

Eun S. CHOI ¹, Yongbum PARK ², Jaeki AHN ², Shunzhe PIAO ³, Yun-Hee LEE ⁴, Jin H. YOON ⁵, Man-Geun KWON ⁶, Kyung-A SHIN ⁷, Young-Joo KIM ⁸ ✉

¹ Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Inje University, Busan, South Korea; ² Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, Sanggye-Paik Hospital, Inje University, Seoul, South Korea; ³ Department of Fitness Management, College of Physical Education, Suwon University, Suwon, South Korea; ⁴ Department of Exercise Physiology, Korea National Sport University, Seoul, South Korea; ⁵ Department of Sports Medicine, Nazarene University, Chungnam, South Korea; ⁶ Department of Physical Education, Korea National Sport University, Seoul, South Korea; ⁷ Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Shinsung University, Chungnam, South Korea; ⁸ Department of Exercise Rehabilitation, Welfare Soojung Campus, Sungshin University, Seoul, South Korea

BACKGROUND: Runners who participate in endurance sports such as marathons or ultramarathons have superior physical capabilities and health benefits compared to others. However, they may suffer long-term effects of the negative physiological changes during long-distance running. This study aimed to examine the effects of an ultramarathon on hormone levels, and the associated risks.
METHODS: Ten participants who completed a 622-km ultramarathon were included. Blood was collected prerace, at the 300-km mark, the 622-km mark, and on the 3rd day of recovery (RD3) and the 6th day of recovery (RD6) and analyzed for human growth hormone (HGH), cortisol, beta-endorphin, serotonin, testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels.
RESULTS: HGH and beta-endorphin showed the highest increase at the 300-km mark compared to prerace levels, with recovery on RD3 and RD6, respectively. LH, cortisol, and serotonin showed the highest levels of increase at the 622-km mark, with recovery on RD6 for LH, and RD3 for cortisol and serotonin. FSH showed the highest level of decrease at both 300-km and 622-km marks compared to prerace levels, with recovery on RD3. Testosterone decreased the most at the 300-km mark compared to the prerace level and this decrease was below the normal levels; however, it recovered to normal levels on RD3.
CONCLUSIONS: Hormone levels after the 622-km ultramarathon were within their normal ranges, except for testosterone. However, all the hormones recovered to prerace levels on RD3 or RD6. This study showed that running ultramarathons does not cause abnormal hormone levels.

KEY WORDS: Running - Exercise - Hormones