UDC

[612.616.31:796.015.6](045)

Authors

Pogodina Svetlana Vladimirovna, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University (Simferopol, Russia) 

Abstract

This article discusses cortisol and testosterone levels in athletes of the first (22–26 years) and second (40–46 years) periods of maturity, involved in sports aiming to develop aerobic endurance (“endurance” group) and strength (“strength” group). We also examined untrained men (“untrained” group). We determined cortisol and testosterone levels in the serum using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cortisol levels were recorded in all the subjects performing bicycle exercise with increasing speed. In addition, cortisol content in the “strength” group was studied during a 16 kg kettlebell snatch. The “strength” group in the second period of maturity had a statistically significant increase in cortisol during the submaximal bicycle exercise testing. The “endurance” group showed no changes in cortisol level. The athletes from the “strength” group in the second period of maturity showed increased cortisol levels ranging between 800 and 900 nmol/l prior to the 16 kg kettlebell snatch. In the “untrained” group of the first and second periods of maturity, cortisol level in response to exercise decreased. The main conclusion is that such strength exercises as kettlebell snatch should be restricted in the “strength” group of athletes in the second period of maturity due to the excessive activation of the sympathoadrenal system prior to this type of loads. In untrained individuals, high-intensity physical loads inhibit the stressrealizing functions and decrease the cortisol level already in the first period of maturity. Reduced function of steroidogenesis in this group was also observed in terms of testosterone production.

Keywords

cortisol, testosterone, mature athletes, aerobic load, anaerobic load, untrained person.

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