皮质醇对压力反应的测量不一致导致压力开始后皮质醇浓度变化的方向不一致。研究人员通常会观察到皮质醇水平升高,以应对压力源,感知偶尔的减少作为可能的疾病的迹象。报告表明,与精神压力源相比,标准化身体压力源相对容易,交叉压力源适应仅在精英运动员中观察到。
我们通过分析皮质醇反应的过程,研究了皮质醇对最高强度体力消耗的反应,由于适应剧烈运动而导致的这种反应的变化,以及皮质醇变化和体内脂肪含量之间可能的趋同。我们检查了16名男运动员,波兰国家赛艇队的成员,参加世界赛艇锦标赛,在顶部形式,平均7年的培训经验。测量是在锦标赛训练营准备之前和之后进行的。我们在锦标赛训练营准备前后进行了测量。
在营地前,与基线相比,运动员对运动试验的反应一致,休息后皮质醇浓度降低,皮质醇水平升高.在营地之后,运动后皮质醇的降低以及休息后皮质醇的升高要小得多,并且不那么一致。
因此,在应激开始时皮质醇浓度的短暂降低代表了一种生理反应,并且应激反应抵消了由此产生的皮质醇缺乏,以支持压力期间的皮质醇可用性。对压力的适应通过(1)增加基线皮质醇浓度和(2)加快对其下降的反应来增强这种抵消作用。脂肪组织增强了这种增强的作用。
Inconsistencies in measurements of cortisol response to stress have caused disagreements in the direction of the change in cortisol concentrations immediately after the onset of stress. Researchers typically observe increased cortisol levels in response to a stressor, perceiving occasional decreases as a sign of possible disorders. Reports indicate the relative ease of standardizing a physical stressor compared with a mental stressor, and cross-stressor adaptation is observable only in elite athletes.
We investigated the cortisol response to top-intensity physical exertion by analyzing the course of the cortisol response, the changes in this response resulting from adaptation to intense exercise, and the possible convergence between the cortisol changes and body fat content. We examined 16 male athletes, members of the Polish National Rowing Team, competing in the World Rowing Championships, in top form, of an average training experience of seven years. The measurements were performed before and after the training camp preparatory to the Championships. We performed the measurements before and after the training camp preparatory to the Championships.
Before the camp, the athletes consistently reacted to the exertion test with a decrease in cortisol concentration and elevated cortisol levels after rest compared with baseline. After the camp, the post-exertion cortisol decrease as well as the post-rest cortisol elevation was much smaller and less consistent.
The transient decrease in cortisol concentration at the onset of stress thus represents a physiological reaction, and the stress response counteracts the resulting cortisol deficiency to support cortisol availability during stress. Adaptation to stress enhanced this counteracting effect by (1) increasing the baseline cortisol concentration and (2) speeding up the response to its decline. This enhanced effect was boosted by adipose tissue.