Does a long workout mess up your stress hormone rhythm?
The diurnal patterns of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone in relation to intense aerobic exercise in recreationally trained soccer players
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
DHEA showed no acute response to intense aerobic exercise, while cortisol spiked significantly.
Most assume all adrenal hormones react similarly to stress — but DHEA’s silence suggests it may not be a direct stress responder in this context, which contradicts common assumptions.
Practical Takeaways
If you work out intensely in the morning or afternoon, don’t worry — your cortisol will spike briefly but won’t throw off your entire day’s stress rhythm.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
DHEA showed no acute response to intense aerobic exercise, while cortisol spiked significantly.
Most assume all adrenal hormones react similarly to stress — but DHEA’s silence suggests it may not be a direct stress responder in this context, which contradicts common assumptions.
Practical Takeaways
If you work out intensely in the morning or afternoon, don’t worry — your cortisol will spike briefly but won’t throw off your entire day’s stress rhythm.
Publication
Journal
Stress
Year
2013
Authors
Z. Labsy, Fabrice Prieur, B. Panse, Manh-Cuong Do, Olivier Gagey, Françoise Lasne, Katia Collomp
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Claims (4)
When a person engages in aerobic exercise lasting more than 15 minutes, their body shows an increase in cortisol levels, which is a hormone released in response to physical stress.
In recreationally trained soccer players, 90 minutes of intense aerobic exercise leads to a temporary rise in cortisol levels in saliva at midday and late afternoon, depending on when the exercise occurs, but does not change the natural daily decrease in cortisol or dehydroepiandrosterone over a 16-hour waking period.
In recreationally trained soccer players, intense aerobic exercise causes a temporary rise in cortisol but does not change the natural daily decrease in cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone levels over a 16-hour waking period.
After 90 minutes of intense aerobic exercise, levels of the hormone DHEA remain stable in soccer players who train recreationally, while cortisol levels rise temporarily.