An approach to the biphasic behavior of the ratio cortisol-testosterone in acute physical stress

• Grant number: 14/14296-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2015
• End date: January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - General Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Jose Eduardo Pereira Wilken Bicudo
• Grantee: Jose Eduardo Pereira Wilken Bicudo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alexandre Moreira ; José Guilherme de Souza Chaui Mattos Berlinck

Abstract

Stress, either physical or psychological, is associate to changes in the hormonal profile. From the classical fight-or-flight reaction to subtle dominance relationships in groups, changes in specific sets of hormones are found. In searching for cause-effects relationships, one tries to establish both how the variations in hormones might have a role in the short-term orchestrated organismal response and, also, interfere in the long-term homeostasis. Among the detected hormonal changes are those related to anabolic and those related to catabolic loops of the metabolism. The former have, as a possible marker, testosterone (T), while the latter have cortisol (C) as its potential indicator. In this vein, the ratio C/T is employed to translate the balance between the loops and imbalances are referred as an index of stress. Change in C/T ratio are reported in episodes of acute physical exertion. However, the reported changes are not congruent, and sometimes an increase and others a decrease in the ratio are presented. In another more physiological perspective of hormonal action, it is hypothesized that the activation of the catabolic loop might play a dual role, with an initial stimulatory followed by an inhibitory phase, thus creating a putative biphasic response of the C/T ratio. The aim of the present study is to investigate this putative biphasic response due to acute stress events using physical effort as the causative factor. Physical effort creates an ideal background for such an approach since it has an independent marker of the stress amount, viz. the metabolic demand, and people fitted to such stress, i.e., physical trained groups. The experimental protocol will employ sedentary individuals and marathon runners. Treadmill exercise at different speeds and different total times will be the stress events. Salivary cortisol and testosterone will be collected before, immediate and 3 to 4 hours after the runs. Intraindividual and group comparisons will address the query. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE BARROS DE LUCCIA, THIAGO PAES; SOUBHIA NATALI, JOSE EDUARDO; MOREIRA, ALEXANDRE; CHAUI-BERLINCK, JOSE GUILHERME; PEREIRA WILKEN BICUDO, JOSE EDUARDO. Bouts of exercise elicit discordant testosterone: cortisol ratios in runners and non-runners. ARCHIVES OF ENDOCRINOLOGY METABOLISM, v. 62, n. 3, p. 325-331, MAY-JUN 2018. (14/14296-1)

DE BARROS DE LUCCIA, THIAGO PAES; SOUBHIA NATALI, JOSE EDUARDO; MOREIRA, ALEXANDRE; CHAUI-BERLINCK, JOSE GUILHERME; PEREIRA WILKEN BICUDO, JOSE EDUARDO. Bouts of exercise elicit discordant testosterone: cortisol ratios in runners and non-runners. ARCHIVES OF ENDOCRINOLOGY METABOLISM, v. 62, n. 3, p. 7-pg., 2018-05-01. (14/14296-1)