Effect of increasing maximal aerobic exercise on serum gonadal hormones and alpha-fetoprotein in the luteal phase of professional female soccer players

Abstract

[Purpose] The performance of female athletes during their menstrual period has attracted the attention of researchers for many years. It is known that the menstrual period changes with exercise. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an oncofetal protein. In this study, the effect of maximal aerobic exercise in the luteal phase on some hormones and AFP in female athletes was researched. [Subjects and Methods] Twelve volunteers and healthy female footballers with normal menstrual cycles volunteered for this study as subjects. All the participants performed a shuttle run test. Blood samples were taken before, after, and one hour after exercise. Serum AFP, estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) values were measured using an auto analyzer and original kits. Heart rate measurements were performed before and after the exercise. [Results] AFP activity had significantly decreased after 1 h of recovery from the exercise in the female soccer players, and estrogen and LH activity had significantly increased immediately after the exercise. Progesterone activity had significantly decreased immediately after the exercise. FSH values had significantly increased immediately after the exercise. [Conclusion] The results of the present study show there were significant decreases in the values of AFP, which is a cancer parameter, 1 hour after the exercise. This result may be valuable in future physiotherapy studies on the relationship between exercise and cancer.

The effect of an acute bout of high intensity intermittent exercise on neural growth factors in young adults: Sex differences

“…A more significant increase was seen in females during the early follicular to pre-ovulatory phase in response to HIIE as compared to males. Otağ et al, (2016), found an increase in the level of estradiol and a decreased level of FSH during the luteal phase in female soccer players in response to an acute maximal aerobic exercise, which was in accordance with our findings. It shows that, independent of the phase of the menstrual cycle, the HIIE response of estradiol and FSH is similar to that of acute maximal aerobic exercise in healthy young females.…”

“…Serum VEGF increase in response to HIIE, was observed in our study (2.73% rise in males and 0.06% rise in females), which was not statistically significant (Figure 2G). Sex hormones influence serum levels of VEGF (Berciano Guerrero et al, 2010) and acute exercise affects the levels of these sex hormones (Monje et al, 2020;Otağ et al, 2016).…”

Hormonal and psychological influences on performance anxiety in adolescent female volleyball players: a multi-approach study

“…Some studies have focused on the exercise response to ovarian hormones ( Bonen et al, 1981 ; Jurkowski et al, 1978 ). A recent study shows that LH and FSH were significantly increased immediately after exercise particularly starting with running (8 km/h) increasing 0.5 km/h per minute, instead, progesterone activity decreased significantly ( Otağ et al, 2016 ). Progesterone is a hormone detectable in saliva as well as other hormones like cortisol, androgens (including testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone), estrogen, and aldosterone.…”