Chapter 5

Hormonal Responses
to Exercise

EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY
Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance, 6th edition
Scott K. Powers & Edward T. Howley

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Anterior Pituitary Gland

Fig 5.5
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Growth Hormone
Secreted from the anterior pituitary gland
Essential for normal growth
Stimulates protein synthesis and long bone
growth
Increases during exercise
Mobilizes fatty acids from adipose tissue
Aids in the maintenance of blood glucose

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Posterior Pituitary Gland
Secretes antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or
vasopressin
Reduces water loss from the body to
maintain plasma volume
Stimulated by:
High plasma osmolality and low plasma
volume due to sweating
Exercise

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Change in the Plasma ADH
Concentration During Exercise

Fig 5.7
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Thyroid Gland
Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)
Important in maintaining metabolic rate
and allowing full effect of other hormones
Calcitonin
Regulation of plasma Ca++
Parathyroid Hormone
Also involved in plasma Ca++ regulation

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Adrenal Medulla
Secretes Epinephrine and
Norepinephrine
Increases
HR, glycogenolysis, lypolysis,

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Adrenal Cortex
Mineralcorticoids (aldosterone)
Maintain plasma Na+ and K+
Regulation of blood pressure

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Change in Mineralcorticoids
During Exercise

Fig 5.8
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Adrenal Cortex
Glucocorticoids (Cortisol)
Stimulated by exercise and long-term
fasting
Promotes the use of free fatty acids as
fuel
Stimulates glucose synthesis
Promotes protein breakdown for
gluconeogenesis and tissue repair

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Control of
Cortisol
Secretion

Fig 5.9

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Pancreas
Secretes digestive enzymes and bicarbonate
into small intestine
Releases
Insulin - Promotes the storage of glucose,
amino acids, and fats
Glucagon - Promotes the mobilization of
fatty acids and glucose
Somatostatin - Controls rate of entry of
nutrients into the circulation

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Testes
Release testosterone
Anabolic steroid
Promotes tissue (muscle) building
Performance enhancement
Androgenic steroid
Promotes masculine characteristics

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Estrogen
Establish and maintain reproductive
function
Levels vary throughout the menstrual
cycle

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Muscle Glycogen Utilization
Breakdown of muscle glycogen is under dual
control
Epinephrine-cyclic AMP
Ca2+-calmodulin
Delivery of glucose parallels activation of
muscle contraction
Glycogenolysis breakdown of glycogen

Fig 5.16
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Control of Glycogenolysis

Glycogenolysis

Fig 5.16
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Muscle Glycogen Utilization
Glycogenolysis is related to exercise intensity
High-intensity of exercise results in greater
and more rapid glycogen depletion Fig 5.13

Plasma epinephrine is a powerful simulator of

glycogenolysis
High-intensity of exercise results in greater
increases in plasma epinephrine Fig 5.14

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Glycogen Depletion During
Exercise

Fig 5.13
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Plasma Epinephrine
Concentration During Exercise

Fig 5.14
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Maintenance of Plasma
Glucose During Exercise
Mobilization of glucose from liver glycogen
stores
Mobilization of FFA from adipose tissue
Spares blood glucose
Gluconeogenesis from amino acids, lactic
acid, and glycerol
Blocking the entry of glucose into cells
Forces use of FFA as a fuel

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Blood Glucose Homeostasis
During Exercise
Permissive and slow-acting hormones
Thyroxine
Cortisol
Growth hormone
Act in a permissive manner to support
actions of other hormones

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Cortisol
Stimulates FFA mobilization from
adipose tissue
Mobilizes amino acids for
gluconeogenesis
Blocks entry of glucose into cells

Fig 5.17
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Role of Cortisol in the
Maintenance of Blood
Glucose

Fig 5.17
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Plasma Cortisol During
Exercise
At low intensity
plasma cortisol decreases
At high intensity
plasma cortisol increases

Fig 5.18
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Changes in Plasma Cortisol
During Exercise

Fig 5.18
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Growth Hormone
Important in the maintenance of plasma
glucose
Decreases glucose uptake
Increases FFA mobilization
Enhances gluconeogenesis

Fig 5.19
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Growth Hormone in the
Maintenance of Plasma Glucose

Fig 5.19
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Growth Hormone During Exercise:
Effect of Intensity

Fig 5.20
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Growth Hormone During Exercise:
Trained vs. Untrained

Fig 5.20
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Blood Glucose Homeostasis
During Exercise
Fast-acting hormones
Norepinephrine and epinephrine
Insulin and glucagon
Maintain plasma glucose
Increasing liver glucose mobilization
Increased levels of plasma FFA
Decreasing glucose uptake
Increasing gluconeogenesis

Fig 5.21
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Role of Catecholamines in
Substrate Mobilization

Fig 5.21
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Epinephrine & Norepinephrine
During Exercise
Increase linearly during exercise
Favor the mobilization of FFA and
maintenance of plasma glucose

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Change in Plasma Catecholamines
During Exercise

Fig 5.22
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Epinephrine & Norepinephrine
Following Training
Decreased plasma levels in response to
exercise bout
Parallels reduction in glucose mobilization

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Plasma Catecholamines
During Exercise Following
Training

Fig 5.23
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Effects of Insulin & Glucagon

Fig 5.24
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Insulin During Exercise
Plasma insulin decreases during exercise
Prevents rapid uptake of plasma glucose
Favors mobilization of liver glucose and
lipid FFA

Trained subjects during exercise

More rapid decrease in plasma insulin
Increase in plasma glucagon

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Changes in Plasma Insulin
During Exercise

Fig 5.25
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Effect of Training on Plasma
Insulin During Exercise

Fig 5.25
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Effect of Training on Plasma
Glucagon During Exercise

Fig 5.26
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Effect of SNS on Substrate
Mobilization

Fig 5.28
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Hormonal Responses to
Exercise

Fig 5.29a
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Hormonal Responses to
Exercise

Fig 5.29b
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.
 Free Fatty Acid Mobilization
During Heavy Exercise
FFA mobilization decreases during heavy
exercise
This occurs in spite of persisting hormonal
stimulation for FFA mobilization
May be due to high levels of lactic acid
Promotes resynthesis of triglycerides
Inadequate blood flow to adipose tissue
Insufficient transporter for FFA in plasma

2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

 Effect of Lactic Acid on FFA
Mobilization

Fig 5.30
2007 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.