title: Non-invasive measurement of adrenal response after standardized exercise tests in prepubertal children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the feasibility of non-invasive evaluation of adrenal response in healthy prepubertal children by standardized exercise tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  On separate occasions, healthy prepubertal children performed a submaximal cycling test, a maximal cycling test, and a 20-m shuttle-run test. Salivary cortisol levels were determined before exercise, and 1 and 15 min after exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immediately after cessation of the cycling and shuttle-run tests, salivary cortisol levels remained unchanged or decreased. Fifteen minutes after the shuttle-run test, salivary cortisol levels increased significantly. This increase in salivary cortisol levels was not observed 15 min after the cessation of the cycling tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study demonstrate a different response in salivary cortisol levels after standardized cycling and running tests in prepubertal children. The increase in salivary cortisol levels found after a short standardized running test suggests that this may be a practical non-invasive method for evaluating adrenal response in healthy prepubertal children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Medical Centre Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sigrid M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Heijsman
authors.forename: Nicoline F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Koers
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bocca
authors.forename: Betty S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: van der Veen
authors.forename: Maaike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Appelhof
authors.forename: Arvid W A
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Kamps
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone