title: Effect of acceleration stress on salivary cortisol and plasma cortisol and testosterone levels in cadet pilots.
abstract: The effects of acceleration (Gz) on changes in the levels of cortisol in saliva and of cortisol and testosterone in serum have been studied in 48 cadet pilots exposed to a linear acceleration gradient (0.2 G/s) until a loss of coordination when the mean G value was found to be 5.94 +/- 0.57. Three patterns of salivary cortisol responses were discerned based on Gz-induced significant changes: increase (I; n = 20), decrease (D; n = 8), the magnitude of changes being dependent on the pre-Gz values. Fifteen min after the Gz load, the mean salivary cortisol was significantly higher from the pre-Gz value in all subjects combined. In 19 subjects, who consented to blood sampling, significant increases in serum cortisol were observed both 3 and 15 min post-Gz (by 37 and 57% respectively) while, a significant increase in serum testosterone concentration has been observed only 3 min post-Gz. Testosterone levels 3 min post-Gz were significantly correlated with the final Gz values (r = 0.54; p < 0.05). A significant correlation was also observed between all salivary and serum cortisol values combined (r = 0.696; p < 0.001). It has been concluded that acceleration stress, although of very short duration, proved very potent in eliciting glucocorticoid and androgen responses.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Endocrinology, Institute of Sport, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Obmiński
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wojtkowiak
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stupnicki
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golec
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hackney
mesh_terms: D000054:Acceleration / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone