Training of elite cyclists: effects on mood state and selected hormonal responses

Abstract

The psychobiological status of cyclists over a period of 8 months of training was assessed by measuring the sympatho-adrenal level, the central noradrenergic activity, and the cortisol - testosterone ratio status non-invasively. Alteration of these indices after a large increase in training load lasting 4 days ( + 187%) was also examined. Urinary excretion of methoxyamines (metanephrine, normetanephrine) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol sulphate (MHPG-S), and salivary concentrations of cortisol and testosterone, were measured in 12 national cyclists after a non-specific training period and 48 h before 4 days of increased training (T₁), after these 4 days (T₂) and at the end of 4 months of specific training (T₃). Urinary and salivary samples were also collected during a rest period (T₀). At each of these times, mood states and ratings of perceived muscle soreness were assessed, and a questionnaire of early clinical symptoms of the overtraining syndrome (Profile of Mood States) was administered. A significant increase in normetanephrine (P  < 0.05) and a decrease in the testosterone - cortisol ratio (P  < 0.05) were observed at T₂, while MHPG-S excretion remained unchanged. Over the same periods, increased training loads did not induce mood disturbances. Eight months of training were associated with significant alterations in metanephrine (P < 0.05) and MHPG-S (P < 0.05). These results suggest a dissociation between the neural and endocrine catecholaminergic components systems. Opposite responses between MHPG-S and Profile of Mood States scores show that further investigations are needed to understand the relationship between central noradrenergic function, which is recognized as a regulatory factor of mood, and psychological tests measuring mood.

Keywords:

• MHPG
• mood
• muscle soreness
• steroid
• sympatho-adrenal system