ACE’s Essentials of Exercise Science

for Fitness Professionals

Chapter 2: Hormones
Learning Objectives
 This chapter covers how the body responds to the
demands of exercise at the cellular level and the
physiological adaptations that occur with specific training
programs.
 Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
– List some of the hormonal responses to exercise
The Endocrine System
 The endocrine system, which is made up of various glands
throughout the body, is responsible for regulating bodily activities
through the production of hormones.
 The principal glands are as follows:
– Pituitary
– Thyroid
– Parathyroids
– Adrenals
– Paradrenals
– Gonads
Hormonal response to exercise

 Learning activity:
– Your group will be assigned a hormone or related hormones.
– Research and be prepared to present the following
information:
• Where is the hormone made in the body?
• What does it do (in general)?
• Describe its relationship to exercise.
• Complete the summary table as a group.

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Major Endocrine Glands and Their Hormones
The Endocrine System
 The endocrine system is responsible for releasing
hormones from glands into the circulation.
 These hormones act on specific receptors to perform a
number of functions in the body, including:
– Regulating cellular metabolism
– Facilitating the cardiovascular response to exercise
– Facilitating transport across cell membranes (e.g., insulin)
– Inducing secretory activity (e.g., ACTH and cortisol)
– Modulating protein synthesis
Hormonal Response to Exercise
 Hormones are necessary to help the body make acute
and chronic adaptations to exercise.
 Growth hormone (GH)
– Secreted by the anterior pituitary gland
– Facilitates protein synthesis
– Mediated by insulin-like growth factors

 Growth hormone, released by the anterior pituitary

gland, supports the action of cortisol and plays a role in
protein synthesis.
– Dramatic increase during short-term physical activity
Slow-acting Hormones
 Cortisol, released by the adrenal cortex, stimulates the
mobilization of free fatty acids (FFA) from adipose tissue,
mobilizes glucose synthesis in the liver, and decreases
the rate of glucose utilization in the cells.
– Increases with intensity and stress on the body
– Prolonged elevated levels have been linked to excessive protein
breakdown, tissue wasting, negative nitrogen balance, and
abdominal obesity.
– Cortisol promotes protein and triglyceride breakdown to aid in
maintaining blood glucose.
Catecholamines
 Epinephrine and norepinephrine
– Collectively called the catecholamines
– Secreted by the adrenal medulla as part of the sympathetic
response to exercise
– Two major roles:
• Increase cardiac output (increase HR and contractility)
• Stimulate glycogen breakdown in the liver (glycogenolysis)
 Catecholamines
 Hormones that ensure blood glucose maintenance during exercise and
quickly return blood glucose concentrations back to normal after
exercise include the catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine).
– Increase cardiac contractility, leading to increased cardiac output
– Vasoconstriction of non-working muscles increases total peripheral
resistance, causing an increase is systolic blood pressure (SBP)
 Epinephrine only:
– Dilates respiratory passages and reduces digestive activity and bladder
emptying
– Stimulates the mobilization of stored carbohydrates and fats, the production
and release of glycogen, and glycogenolysis in skeletal muscle
– Promotes lipolysis
– Alerts the central nervous system (CNS) of impending stressors
Blood Pressure & Electrolyte Balance
 Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
– Also called vasopressin
– Secreted by the posterior pituitary gland
– Reduces urinary excretion of water in response to the
dehydrating effects of sweat during exercise

 Aldosterone
– Aldosterone limits sodium excretion in urine to maintain
electrolyte balance.
Blood Glucose Regulation
 Insulin and glucagon
– Secreted by the pancreas (specifically, the islets of Langerhans)
– Insulin is active when blood glucose levels are high to move
glucose from the blood to the tissues.
– Glucagon is active when blood glucose is low to stimulate
glucose release from the liver.
Insulin and Glucagon
 Activation of the sympathetic system during exercise
suppresses the release of insulin from the pancreas.
– Insulin sensitivity increases, requiring less insulin for the same
effect.
– Glucose uptake by the skeletal muscle occurs at a higher rate.

 Glucagon, also released from the pancreas, stimulates

an almost immediate release of glucose from the liver.
– Facilitates an increase in blood glucose levels in response to low
levels (negative feedback loop)
– This reaction takes effect as exercise progresses and glycogen
stores deplete.
Gender
 The relative amounts of testosterone (in males) and
estrogen (in females) account for specific variances in
males and females and their physiological response to
exercise.
 Outside of the hormone-attributed differences, men and
women have very similar responses to exercise.
Testosterone & Estrogen
 Testosterone and estrogen
– Testosterone (male sex hormone) is secreted by the testes.
• Responsible for masculine characteristics and muscle-building
(anabolic) effects
– Estrogen (female sex hormone) is secreted by the ovaries.
• Responsible for feminine characteristics and bone formation and
maintenance
• May play a role in amenorrhea and the female athlete triad
 Stress & Hormonal Response
 Negative changes can occur primarily due to elevated levels of stress
hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol.
 Cortisol can also cause hunger following stress and encourages
storage of visceral fat (belly fat), which is associated with many chronic
diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
 Exercise may help decrease stress hormone levels and alleviate these
symptoms.

Physiological system Effects of stress

Musculoskeletal system Tension headache, neck and shoulder discomfort, and
back pain
Cardiovascular system Premature coronary artery disease (CAD),
hypertension, increased platelet adhesiveness, and
heart attack
Immune system Suppression of T-cell function, increased vulnerability
to infections, and viral illnesses
CNS Impaired memory and neural degeneration
Gastrointestinal system Stomach ache, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea
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Hormonal Changes
 Generally, the hormonal response to a given exercise load declines
with regular endurance training.

 Resistance-training adaptations result in increases in growth

hormone and testosterone (especially in men), which are associated
with strength improvement.
Summary
 In response to exercise, a series of physiological adaptations
(acute and chronic) occur specific to the encountered stress.
 This chapter covered:
– The hormonal response to exercise