Performance and hormones were determined in eight middle- and nine long-distance runners after an increase in training volume (ITV, February 1989) or intensity (ITI, February 1990). Seven runners participated in both studies. The objective was to cause an overtraining syndrome. The mean training volume of 85.9 km week-1 increased within 3 weeks to 176.6 km week-1 during ITV and 96-98% of training volume was performed as long-distance runs at mean(s.d.) 67(8)% of maximum capacity. Speed endurance, high-speed and interval runs averaging 9 km week-1 increased within 3 weeks to 22.7 km during ITI, and the total volume increased from 61.6 to 84.7 km. A plateau in endurance performance and decrease in maximum performance occurred during ITV, probably due to overtraining, with performance incompetence over months. Nocturnal catecholamine excretion decreased markedly (47-53%), contrary to exercise-related plasma catecholamine responses, which increased. Resting and exercise-related cortisol and aldosterone levels decreased. Improvement in endurance and maximum performance occurred during ITI indicating a failure to cause an overtraining syndrome in ITI. Decrease in noctural catecholamine excretion was clearly lower (9-26%), exercise-related catecholamine responses showed a significant decrease, cortisol and aldosterone levels remained almost constant, exercise-related prolactin levels decreased slightly. There were no differences in insulin, C-peptide, free testosterone, somatotropic hormone (STH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), tri-iodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). The decrease in nocturnal catecholamine excretion during ITV might indicate a decrease in intrinsic sympathetic activity in exhausted sportsmen. But it remains open whether this reflected a central nervous system incompetence.

The influence on pituitary function of 6 weeks of training on 6 days a week was examined in six recreational athletes. Endurance training on a bicycle ergometer for 31-33 min was performed on 4 days each week at 90-96% (weeks 1-3) and 89-92% (weeks 4-6) of the 4 mmol lactate thresholds determined on day 0 and day 21, respectively, with interval training of 3-5 x 3-5 min in addition on 2 days a week at 117-127% and 115-110%, respectively. Determination of the serum hormone levels and a combined pituitary function test (200 [ig thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), 100 [tg gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), 100 [tg corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH), 50 [tg growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH)) were made before training, after 6 weeks of training and after another 3 weeks of recovery. Training increased performance at 2 mmol lactate by 25%, at 4 mmol by 12%, and maximum performance by approximately 12%. The releasing hormone-stimulable prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and somatotrophic hormone (STH) synthesis-secretion capacity remained unchanged, the adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) was increased after training. Cortisol release was reduced, folliclestimulating hormone (FSH)-synthesis-secretion capacity was increased after training, and the luteinizing hormone (LH)-synthesis-secretion capacity reduced. This had no influence on base or exercise-induced serum hormone levels (cortisol, aldosterone, insulin, prolactin, FSH, LH, TSH, ACTH, ADH and STH), which showed no dependence on training, except for free testosterone which showed a decreasing trend (P < 0.10) of 19-25% and post-exercise ACTH which showed an increasing trend of 33% (P < 0.10). Conditioning (cortisol sensitivity and ACTH response) or adaptation (FSH and LH responses) to changed testosterone serum levels and altered spermatogenesis is discussed.

No abstract

Clinical manifestations of allergy to biosynthetic hGH were not reported in 245 patients treated for one year. A sensitive radioallergosorbent test showed, however, the presence of anti-hGH IgE antibodies in the sera of 13%. All patients with anti-hGH IgE had also elevated concentrations of total serum IgE, similar to atopic persons (2459 \ m=+-\ 147 \g=m\g/l , normal 70 \ m=+-\ 8, 2p < 0.0001); 83% of all patients who had specific IgE antibodies to hGH had specific antibodies prior to treatment. Administration of hGH did not consistently change concentrations (up to 8 \g=m\g/l or affinities (< 107 to 1.3 \m=x\109 l/mol) of the specific reagins. Anti-hGH IgE antibodies were related to atopy. Treatment with biosynthetic hGH did not significantly stimulate specific IgE.Administration of homologous peptide hormones induces an immune response which may compli¬ cate the therapy (1-3). Treatment with human growth hormone may lead to the formation of IgG antibodies (4), resulting in occasional resistance to therapy (5). Immediate type allergic reactions owing to IgE antibodies occur rarely in response to human insulin (6-8). Data on IgE antibodies to hGH are not available.Analysis of sera from 245 children treated con¬ tinuously with biosynthetic natural sequence hGH over one year revealed the occurrence of specific IgE antibodies to hGH in 32 individuals. This paper deals with the characterization of these reagins. The data indicate that anti-hGH IgE anti¬ bodies are not treatment-induced. Patients and MethodsWe investigated sera from 245 previously untreated sub¬ jects (0.3 to 27 years, the majority 8 to 13 years old). Clini¬ cal criteria for hGH treatment were a height of -2 sd below the mean for chronological age and peak concen¬ trations of circulating hGH of less than 10 [ig/f both in re¬ sponse to insulin (0.1 IU/kg body weight) and arginine (500 mg/kg body weight). The etiology of hGH deficiency was idiopathic in 197, trauma, tumour, or irradiation in 46, and deficiency of the hGH-N-gene in 2 patients. They were treated with biosynthetic natural sequence hGH Saizen, Serono, Freiburg, FRG) at a weekly dose of 12 to 16 IU/m2, injected sc in three (199 individuals) or seven (46 individuals) portions. Venous blood samples were drawn before and after 1.5, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of treat¬ ment. Serum samples were kept frozen at -20°C until fur¬ ther examination.Biosynthetic hGH was coupled to cellulose discs to perform radioallergosorbent assays (RAST). Discs were made from Whatman No. 54 filter paper (Whatman Ltd, Maidstone, UK), suspended in 50 ml ice water, and acti¬ vated with 1 g CNBr in 5 ml dimethylformamide (20 min, pH 10 to 11); 500 discs were coated with 1 mg of hGH in 10 ml 0.1 mol/1 NaHCO-, overnight. Excess active groups were blocked with 0.3 mol/1 ethanolamine, followed by 2% bovine albumin. Control discs without hGH were also prepared. An hGH RIA (Pharmacia, Uppsala, Sweden) was used to measure residual hGH in the supernatants.The coupling efficiency was 59%.Onfy a part of hGH on the cellulose discs was ...

Urine constituents were measured in 12 healthy outdoor volunteers on four occasions within a month. Day, night, and 24 hour collection periods were compared. Measurements made on the four occasions did not differ. The amount of water, creatinine, electrolytes, proteins, and enzymes were higher during the day (up to three fold, p always < 0.05), while equal amounts of amino acids were excreted in the day and the night period. A comparison of all values from all individuals for all four sampling occasions showed that the Variation was lowest in the 24 hour samples. Relating the values to creatinine did not consistently reduce the Variation. Twenty-four hour samples correlated better with the day than with the night samples. Day and night samples did not correlate.Twenty-four hour collection is superior to day or night collection in healthy outdoor volunteers. Based on the normal Variation of values found in the present study, criteria for suspected kidney damage and therefore for the withdrawal of drugs in pharmacological studies can be defined for each collection period. Introduction, , , .the excretion of electrolytes, proteins, enzymes and The clinical investigatioü of drugs for possible side amino acids in healthy outdoor volunteers. The effect effects on the kidneys and for qüantitation of excre-of relating the data to urine creatinine (l, 2) was tion often uses the screening of urine in outdoor determined. As in pharmacological studies, urines volunteers. Collection of 24 hour samples of urine is were collected on days 0, l, 14 and 28. The data can a bürden on the daily lives of vohmteers. A shorter be used to define withdrawal criteria in study protocollection time could improve the reproducibility. The cols. 12 hour day period or the 12 hour night period might