Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Exercise Physiology (PhD), Department of Exercise Physiology, Sanandaj University.
2 Germany
3 Exercise Physiology (PhD)TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Germany
Abstract
Objective: This research aimed to explore the association between serum cortisol and the levels of albumin, globulin, and hemoglobin following a single session of intense aerobic exercise in young male runners. Methods: Twelve healthy young male runners (average age 21.38 ± 0.95 years; VO₂max 50.81 ± 2.35 ml/kg/min) completed a 15-minute Balke treadmill test. Blood samples were collected before exercise, immediately after, and three hours post-exercise (recovery) to assess serum cortisol, albumin, globulin, and hemoglobin concentrations. Hematocrit measurements were used to adjust for changes in plasma volume. Statistical analysis involved one-way repeated measures ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test and Pearson correlation. Results: Immediately after exercise, there were significant increases in cortisol (61.4%), albumin (7.5%), globulin (10.5%), and hemoglobin (10.5%) (p<0.05). After three hours of recovery, cortisol, albumin, and hemoglobin levels returned to baseline, whereas globulin remained significantly elevated (p<0.05). No significant correlations were detected between cortisol changes and any of the carrier proteins at any time point (p>0.05). Conclusion: A single session of intense aerobic exercise markedly raises serum cortisol and key carrier proteins in young runners. The absence of correlation between cortisol and these proteins suggests that their immediate post-exercise increases are likely driven by factors other than cortisol fluctuations, such as hemoconcentration and changes in hydrostatic pressure, rather than direct hormonal stimulation.
Main Subjects
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