Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response and recovery from high-intensity exercise in women: effects of aging and fitness.

This study tested the hypotheses that aging is associated with prolonged recovery after a challenge to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (acute exercise) and that aerobic fitness is associated with a blunting of the age-related loss of negative feedback sensitivity. Young (27 +/- 2.8 yr, n = 9), older (64.6 +/- 1.4 yr, n = 11), and older-fit women (66.3 +/- 2.2 yr, n = 11) underwent a short bout of treadmill exercise at high (but submaximal) intensity. The exercise trial elicited significant increases in heart rate, blood pressure, ACTH, and cortisol (P < 0.001). Although the young and the older women exhibited similar cortisol response to the trial and throughout the recovery period, the older women had a slower decrease of ACTH levels (P < 0.05), suggesting reduced negative feedback sensitivity with aging. Between the two groups of older women, the older-fit group had significantly greater rate of recovery of ACTH levels (P < 0.05) compared with the older unfit women. However, older fit women had greater cortisol production during the recovery period (P < 0.05), suggesting greater adrenal sensitivity to ACTH. These results suggest that aging is associated with changes in the dynamic function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and that these changes are attenuated by aerobic fitness.

[1]  Oliver T. Wolf,et al.  Basal Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity and Corticotropin Feedback in Young and Older Men: Relationships to Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Derived Hippocampus and Cingulate Gyrus Volumes , 2002, Neuroendocrinology.

[2]  F. Greenspan.  Basic and Clinical Endocrinology , 1990 .

[3]  B. McEwen,et al.  The adrenocortical axis in the aged rat: Impaired sensitivity to both fast and delayed feedback inhibition , 1986, Neurobiology of Aging.

[4]  J. Born,et al.  Effects of age and gender on pituitary-adrenocortical responsiveness in humans. , 1995, European journal of endocrinology.

[5]  E. Peskind,et al.  Differential effects of aging on neuroendocrine responses to physostigmine in normal men. , 1990, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[6]  B. McEwen,et al.  The neuroendocrinology of stress and aging: the glucocorticoid cascade hypothesis. , 1986, Endocrine reviews.

[7]  D. Karus,et al.  Psychosocial , 1992 .

[8]  H. Koppeschaar,et al.  Dynamic Exercise Discloses Different Time-Related Responses in Stress Hormones , 2000, Psychosomatic medicine.

[9]  L. Thal,et al.  Enhanced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis responses to physostigmine in normal aging. , 1995, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences.

[10]  J. Herman,et al.  Neurocircuitry of stress: central control of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenocortical axis , 1997, Trends in Neurosciences.

[11]  M. Boscaro,et al.  Age-related changes in glucocorticoid fast feedback inhibition of adrenocorticotropin in man. , 1998, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[12]  M. Rivarola,et al.  Glucocorticoids and adrenal androgens in children with end stage renal disease. , 1991, Acta endocrinologica.

[13]  G. Chrousos,et al.  The concepts of stress and stress system disorders. Overview of physical and behavioral homeostasis. , 1992, JAMA.

[14]  I. Heuser,et al.  Age-associated changes of pituitary-adrenocortical hormone regulation in humans: Importance of gender , 1994, Neurobiology of Aging.

[15]  P. Thompson,et al.  ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription , 1995 .

[16]  B. Kudielka,et al.  Psychosocial Stress and HPA Functioning: No Evidence for a Reduced Resilience in Healthy Elderly Men , 2000, Stress.

[17]  J. Soberman,et al.  Estimation of VO2 in older individuals with osteoarthritis of the knee and cardiovascular disease. , 1996, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[18]  E. Peskind,et al.  Human glucocorticoid feedback inhibition is reduced in older individuals: evening study. , 2001, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[19]  A. Ehsani,et al.  Adaptations in β-adrenergic cardiovascular responses to training in older women , 2000 .

[20]  E. Peskind,et al.  Decreased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis sensitivity to cortisol feedback inhibition in human aging. , 1997, Neuroendocrinology.

[21]  M. Horan,et al.  Ageing and the sensitivity of the adrenal gland to physiological doses of ACTH in man. , 1990, The Journal of endocrinology.

[22]  W. Kohrt,et al.  Effects of gender, age, and fitness level on response of VO2max to training in 60-71 yr olds. , 1991, Journal of applied physiology.

[23]  I. Heuser,et al.  Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in elderly endurance athletes. , 1991, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[24]  G. Borg.  Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress. , 2019, Scandinavian journal of rehabilitation medicine.

[25]  R. Azziz,et al.  Effects of aging on adrenal function in the human: responsiveness and sensitivity of adrenal androgens and cortisol to adrenocorticotropin in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. , 2000, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[26]  J. Rowe,et al.  The pituitary-adrenal glucocorticoid response is altered by gender and disease. , 1993, Journal of gerontology.

[27]  G. Chrousos,et al.  Hormonal and metabolic responses of untrained, moderately trained, and highly trained men to three exercise intensities. , 1989, Metabolism: clinical and experimental.

[28]  P. Platen,et al.  Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and -gonadal axis function after exercise in sedentary and endurance trained elderly males , 1998, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[29]  G. Chrousos,et al.  Spontaneous and glucocorticoid-inhibited adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol secretion are similar in healthy young and old men. , 1991, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.

[30]  D. Seals,et al.  Maximal aerobic capacity across age in healthy Hispanic and Caucasian women. , 2001, Journal of applied physiology.

[31]  T. Traustadóttir,et al.  Gender Differences in Cardiovascular and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses to Psychological Stress in Healthy Older Adult Men and Women , 2003, Stress.

[32]  J. Fahrenberg,et al.  Cortisol, ACTH, and cardiovascular response to a cognitive challenge paradigm in aging and depression. , 1995, The American journal of physiology.

[33]  M. Kjaer.  Regulation of hormonal and metabolic responses during exercise in humans. , 1992, Exercise and sport sciences reviews.

[34]  Michael L. Pollock,et al.  Health and Fitness Through Physical Activity , 1978 .

[35]  J. Deslypere,et al.  Adrenocortical function in old age: response to acute adrenocorticotropin stimulation. , 1982, The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.