title: Exercise and the Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis.
abstract: Exercise represents a potent physiological stimulus upon the hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Two major factors modulate the HPA axis response to exercise: intensity and duration. Endurance training per se does not induce permanent hypercortisolism as endurance-trained subjects have similar biological markers of HPA axis activity in resting condition as healthy untrained men. However, during a challenge of the HPA axis, endurance-trained subjects demonstrate an adaptation of the HPA axis activity to repeated exercise resulting from decreased tissular sensitivity to glucocorticoids. A great diversity of other mechanisms is involved in this adaptation, acting potentially at all levels in the cascade and leading to the biological effects of cortisol.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duclos
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabarin
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*