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Biol Trace Elem Res (2009) 129:6569
DOI 10.1007/s12011-008-8294-5
Vedat Cinar & Abdulkerim Kasim Baltaci & Rasim Mogulkoc & Mehmet Kilic
Received: 23 November 2008 /Accepted: 8 December 2008 /
Published online: 20 December 2008# Humana Press Inc. 2008
Abstract The effects of 4 weeks of calcium supplementation on free- and total testosterone levels were established in active and sedentary adult males at rest and exhaustion. Thirty healthy male athletes were equally divided into three study groups, as follows: Group 1 non-exercising subjects receiving 35 mg calcium/kg body weight; Group 2subjects receiving 35 mg calcium/kg body weight undergoing training routines for 90 min/day, 5 days a week and Group 3subjects undergoing training routines for 90 min/day, 5 days a week. The testosterone levels were determined before and after supplementation, at rest and following a hard training routine. The plasma free- and total testosterone levels increased at exhaustion before and after supplementation relative to resting values (p<0.05). This was also true when active subjects were compared to inactive subjects (p<0.05). Our results show that training results in increased testosterone levels in athletes and that the increase is greater if accompanied by calcium supplementation, which may be useful for increasing overall athletic performance.
Keywords Exercise . Calcium supplementation . Free and total testosterone . Athletes
Introduction
Exercise changes homeostasis by physical stress. The autonomous nervous system and hypothalamuspituitaryadrenal axis also participate in this response and assist in the preservation of homeostasis and physical fitness [1].
V. Cinar (*)
Karaman High School of Physical Education and Sport, Selcuk University, Karaman, Turkey e-mail: [email protected]
A. K. Baltaci : R. Mogulkoc
Department of Physiology, Meram Medical School, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
M. Kilic
High School of Physical Education and Sport, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
Testosterone Levels in Athletes at Rest and Exhaustion: Effects of Calcium Supplementation
66 Cinar et al.
During exercise, physiological and psychological systems work together to determine the energy intake needed to accomplish the task at hand. Hormonal response is essential for regulation of physiological reactions and adaptations during physical activity and recovery periods following exercise [2].
Differing results have been reported in a large number of studies exploring the relationship between exercise and hormones [3, 4]. It was found that short-term supra maximal exercise increased total (12%)...