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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 1989; 94(4/05): 82-88
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1210883
Original

© J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Thyroid Hormone Metabolism under Extreme Body Exercises*)

V. Hesse1 , C. Vilser1 , J. Scheibe2 , G. Jahreis1 , T. Foley3
  • 1Division for Paediatric Endocrinology (Head: Prof. Dr. sc. med. V. Hesse) of the Children's Hospital (Head: Prof. Dr. sc. med. G. Zwacka), University of Jena, GDR
  • 2Chair of Sports Medicine (Head: Prof. Dr. sc. med. J. Scheibe), University of Jena, GDR
  • 3Children's Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, USA
*) Dedicated to Professor Dr. G. Dörner on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
Further Information

Publication History

1988

Publication Date:
16 July 2009 (online)

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Summary

In two runs over a distance of 75 km and 45 km as well as in a marathon (42.2 km), the thyroid hormones (T4, T3 and TSH in all runs and rT3 in two of them) were determined before and after the runs. The performance of the runners was analyzed, with their age considered in the analysis. We found that the changes of thyroid hormones are characterized by individual differences. Younger runners and those with better performances had significantly higher T4 serum concentrations and unaltered T3 and TSH concentrations, whereas older sportsmen and those with worse performances reacted to the stressful stimulus with a significant decrease of T4, T3 and TSH. This response was interpreted as an exhaustion reaction, i.e. reduced adaptation responses of thyroid hormone metabolism. Therefore, these investigations provide an assessment of the state of fitness, the optimization of training and the avoidance of damage caused by overstressful physical exercise.

Key words

Thyroid hormones - Runners - Extreme body exercise - Exhaustion reaction

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