HORMONAL RESPONSES

TO EXERCISE
DR.JAWAD MAHMOOD MBBS KMC
Neuroendocrinology

 Endocrine glands release hormones directly

into the blood
 Hormones alter the activity of tissues that

possess receptors to which the hormone can

bind
 The plasma hormone concentration determines

the magnitude of the effect at the tissue level

Blood Hormone Concentration
Determined by:
 Rate of secretion of hormone from

endocrine gland
 Rate of metabolism or excretion of

hormone
 Quantity of transport protein
 Changes in plasma volume

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Control of Hormone Secretion
Rate of insulin secretion from the
pancreas is dependent on:
◦ Magnitude of input
◦ Stimulatory vs. inhibitory

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Factors That Influence the Secretion
of Hormones

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Hormone-Receptor Interactions
 Trigger events at the cell
 Magnitude of effect dependent on:

◦ Concentration of the hormone

◦ Number of receptors on the cell
◦ Affinity of the receptor for the
hormone

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Hormone-Receptor Interactions

 Hormones bring about effects by:

◦ Altering membrane transport
◦ Stimulating DNA to increase protein
synthesis
◦ Activating second messengers
 Cyclic AMP
 Ca++
 Inositol triphosphate
 Diacylglycerol
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Cyclic AMP
“Second
Messenger”
Mechanism

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Other “Second
Messenger”
Systems

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Hormones:
Regulation and Action
 Hormones are secreted from endocrine

glands
◦ Hypothalamus and pituitary glands
◦ Thyroid and parathyroid glands
◦ Adrenal glands
◦ Pancreas
◦ Testes and ovaries

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Hypothalamus
Controls activity of the
anterior and posterior pituitary
glands
Influenced by positive and

negative input

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Positive and Negative Input to the Hypothalamus

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Anterior Pituitary Gland

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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

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Growth Hormone

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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

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Change in the Plasma ADH
Concentration During Exercise

Fig 5.7
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 Thyroid Gland
 Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (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

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 Adrenal Medulla
 SecretesEpinephrine and
Norepinephrine
 Increases
 HR, glycogenolysis, lipolysis,

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 Adrenal Cortex

Mineralocorticoids (aldosterone)
◦ Maintain plasma Na+ and K+
◦ Regulation of blood pressure

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Change in Mineralocorticoids During
Exercise

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 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

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Control of Cortisol Secretion

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 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

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

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Control of Testosterone Secretion

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 Estrogen

 Establish and maintain reproductive

function
 Levels vary throughout the menstrual

cycle

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Control of Estrogen Secretion

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 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

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Control of Glycogenolysis

Glycogenolysis

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Muscle Glycogen Utilization
 Glycogenolysis is related to exercise intensity
◦ High-intensity of exercise results in greater
and more rapid glycogen depletion

 Plasma epinephrine is a powerful simulator of

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

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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

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Blood Glucose Homeostasis During
Exercise
 Permissive and slow-acting hormones

◦ Thyroxin
◦ Cortisol
◦ Growth hormone
 Act in a permissive manner to support

actions of other hormones

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 Cortisol
 Stimulates FFA mobilization from
adipose tissue
 Mobilizes amino acids for

gluconeogenesis
 Blocks entry of glucose into cells

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Role of Cortisol in the Maintenance of Blood
Glucose

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Plasma Cortisol During Exercise

 At low intensity
◦ plasma cortisol decreases
 At high intensity

◦ plasma cortisol increases

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 Growth Hormone
 Important in the maintenance of
plasma glucose
◦ Decreases glucose uptake
◦ Increases FFA mobilization
◦ Enhances gluconeogenesis

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Growth Hormone in the Maintenance
of Plasma Glucose

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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

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Role of Catecholamine's in Substrate
Mobilization

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Epinephrine & Norepinephrine During
Exercise

Increaselinearly during exercise

Favor the mobilization of FFA

and maintenance of plasma

glucose

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Change in Plasma Catecholamine's During
Exercise

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Epinephrine & Norepinephrine
Following Training

 Decreased plasma levels in response to

exercise bout
 Parallels reduction in glucose

mobilization

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Plasma Catecholamine's During
Exercise Following Training

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 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

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Effect of SNS on Substrate
Mobilization

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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

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THANK YOU

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