Association of Physical Activity with Reproductive Hormones: The Penn Ovarian Aging Study

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is associated with reduced risk for breast cancer, perhaps through reductions in circulating reproductive hormones (estrogens and androgens). There may also be a role for physical activity in regulating menopausal symptoms. Few studies have examined associations of physical activity on hormone levels. None have examined the potential effect of the menopausal transition on the associations between physical activity and reproductive hormone levels. Materials and Methods: Data from the Penn Ovarian Aging Study were used for this analysis. Self-reported physical activity was assessed in 391 women up to four times over 10 years and extending across the menopausal transition. Other assessments included reproductive hormones via RIA (estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, DHEA sulfate), body weight, and height. Multivariate repeated measures regression models were developed

Physical Activity and Endogenous Sex Hormone Levels in Postmenopausal Women: a Cross-Sectional Study in the Prospect-EPIC Cohort

“…Most of the earlier published studies also reported an inverse association with estrogens (6,8,(11)(12)(13) and a positive association with SHBG (8,11). No association between physical activity and these hormones were found by the studies of Bjornerem et al (27) and Madigan et al (9).…”

“…Few studies have investigated the relationship between physical activity and androgens (testosterone and androstenedione) in postmenopausal women (8)(9)(10)13), and all have reported an inverse association. In our study, however, we did not observe any association between usual physical activity and androstenedione/ testosterone.…”

“…[8][9][10][11][12][13]. This might be largely explained by preventing weight gain because after menopause the principal source of estrogen production, peripheral aromatization of androstenedione, is fat tissue (14,15).…”

“…Prevention of weight gain, however, might not be the only pathway as some studies still observe an effect of physical activity on hormone levels after adjustment for body mass index (BMI; refs. 8,[11][12][13]. Physical activity might also influence postmenopausal sex hormones by increasing levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), resulting in lower amounts of unbound (free), active estrogens and androgens in circulation (8,11,16).…”

Physical Activity and Genitourinary Cancer Survivorship

“…The effect of physical activity on sex hormones may vary according to hormone receptor status (Sieri et al 2009), across the menopausal transition (Schmitz et al 2007), and also with body fat (McTiernan et al 2004a;McTiernan et al 2004b). Three RCTs have examined the effect of exercise on sex hormone levels and weight change in postmenopausal women.…”