Effect of Exercise at Three Exercise Intensities on Salivary Cortisol

Abstract

Changes in cortisol concentration in response to exercise at 3 different intensities were quantified. Ten apparently healthy, recreationally active males participated. On 4 separate occasions, subjects were assigned a random order of 1-hour cycle ergometer bouts of exercise at 44.5 +/- 5.5%, 62.3 +/- 3.8%, and 76.0 +/- 6.0% (mean +/- SD) of VO2peak and a resting control session. Saliva samples were collected before exercise at 10, 20, 40, and 59 minutes of exercise and at 20 minutes of recovery. Differences in cortisol concentration were assessed via multivariate analysis of variance (alpha = 0.05) Tukey post hoc analysis when indicated. During the highest-intensity exercise session, cortisol was significantly higher at 59 minutes of exercise (p = 0.004) and at 20 minutes of recovery (p = 0.016) than at those same time points during the resting control session. No significant differences in cortisol concentration were noted among resting, low-, and moderate-intensity exercise. Exercise <40 minutes in duration elicited no significant differences at any intensity. These data indicate that only exercise of high intensity and long duration results in significant elevations of salivary cortisol.

Effects of exercise on the desire to smoke and physiological responses to temporary smoking abstinence: a crossover trial

“…Unlike studies of the effect of exercise on cortisol in nonsmokers, which showed substantial increases in cortisol postexercise (Jacks et al 2002;McGuigan et al 2004), the current study noted decreases in cortisol levels from pre-to post-exercise in all conditions. This suggests that reductions in cortisol experienced by smokers on the first day of smoking abstinence may not be completely attenuated by exercise.…”

Correlation between plasma and saliva adrenocortical hormones in response to submaximal exercise

“…Plasma cortisol only increased in response to the 120-min run, whereas DHEA sulfate increased in a dose-response manner, with the greatest increases observed during the 120-min run. To our knowledge, only one study [20] compared the effects of several exercise intensities (44.5 ± 5.5%, 62.3 ± 3.8%, and 76.0 ± 6.0% of VO 2max ) on saliva cortisol response in healthy, recreationally active subjects during a 1-h submaximal trial. Saliva DHEA was not investigated, but the authors reported that saliva cortisol was significantly increased only at 76% VO 2max at the end of exercise.…”

Factors influencing cortisol level and slope among community dwelling older adults in Minnesota

“…Generally, both intense and moderate levels of physical exercise acutely increase cortisol levels (Filaire, Duche, Lac, & Robert, 1996;Jacks, Sowash, Anning, McGloughlin, & Andres, 2002;Kindermann, Schnable, Schmitt, Biro, Cassens, & Webber, 1982;Tremblay, Copeland, & Van Helder, 2004). Studies examining change in cortisol secretion after extended training have equivocal results (Buyukyazi, Karamizrak, & Islegen, 2003;Lucia, Diaz, Hoyos, Fernandez, Villa, Bandres, & Chicharro, 2001), however most research on exercise and cortisol include relatively intense exercise protocols primarily among trained athletes.…”