Effect of competition stress on tests used to assess testosterone administration in athletes

Current Insights into the Steroidal Module of the Athlete Biological Passport

For decades, the class of anabolic androgenic steroids has represented the most frequently detected doping agents in athletes' urine samples. Roughly 50% of all adverse analytical findings per year can be attributed to anabolic androgenic steroids, of which about 2/3 are synthetic exogenous steroids, where a qualitative analytical approach is sufficient for routine doping controls. For the remaining 1/3 of findings, caused by endogenous steroid-derived analytical test results, a more sophisticated quantitative approach is required, as their sheer presence in urine cannot be directly linked to an illicit administration. Here, the determination of urinary concentrations and concentration ratios proved to be a suitable tool to identify abnormal steroid profiles. Due to the large inter-individual variability of both concentrations and ratios, population-based thresholds demonstrated to be of limited practicability, leading to the introduction of the steroidal module of the Athlete Biological Passport. The passport enabled the generation of athlete-specific individual reference ranges for steroid profile parameters. Besides an increase in sensitivity, several other aspects like sample substitution or numerous confounding factors affecting the steroid profile are addressed by the Athlete Biological Passport-based approach. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview on current prospects, supporting professionals in sports drug testing and steroid physiology.

Multivariate interpretation of the urinary steroid profile and training-induced modifications. The case study of a Marathon runner

The steroidal module of the athlete biological passport (ABP) introduced by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2014 includes six endogenous androgenic steroids and five of their concentration ratios, monitored in urine samples collected repeatedly from the same athlete, whose values are interpreted by a Bayesian model on the basis of intra-individual variability. The same steroid profile, plus dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and DHEA, was determined in 198 urine samples collected from an amateur marathon runner monitored over three months preceding an international competition. Two to three samples were collected each day and subsequently analyzed by a fully validated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry protocol. The objective of the study was to identify the potential effects of physical activity at different intensity levels on the physiological steroid profile of the athlete. The results were interpreted using principal component analysis and Hotelling's T² vs Q residuals plots, and were compared with a profile model based on the samples collected after rest. The urine samples collected after activity of moderate or high intensity, in terms of cardiac frequency and/or distance run, proved to modify the basal steroid profile, with particular enhancement of testosterone, epitestosterone, and 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol. In contrast, all steroid concentration ratios were apparently not modified by intense exercise. The alteration of steroid profiles seemingly lasted for few hours, as most of the samples collected 6 or more hours after training showed profiles compatible with the "after rest" model. These observations issue a warning about the ABP results obtained immediately post-competition.

Effect of testosterone cypionate and stanozolol on the heart of young trained mice: A morphometric study

Testosterone cypionate and Stanozolol are Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) which are synthetic substances that possess functions similar to testosterone. The use of these substances has increased considerably among youngsters and sports practitioners aiming better performance of with aesthetic purposes. The major concern is the effects caused by the inappropriate use of the substances, such as hypertension, myocardial ischemia, and left ventricle hypertrophy. The objective of the present research was to measure the diameter of the left ventricle lumen and the thickness of the left ventricle myocardium in mice submitted to supraphysiological doses of AAS. A total of 30 female Swiss mice were used in the experiments. The animals received supraphysiological doses of the AAS for 30 days, and during the treatment period, they were put to swim in intercalated days. After treatment animals were euthanized and slides were made from the hearts for measurements. Results demonstrated that both AAS changed significantly the heart morphology: Testosterone cypionate led to an increase in the ventricular lumen and stanozolol increased left ventricle myocardium thickness. In conclusion, the use of AAS in supraphysiological doses can change the heart morphology and can lead to serious health consequences.

Testosterone, cortisol, and human competition

Testosterone and cortisol figure prominently in the research literature having to do with human competition. In this review, we track the history of this literature, concentrating particularly on major theoretical and empirical contributions, and provide commentary on what we see as important unresolved issues. In men and women, athletic competition is typically associated with an increase in testosterone (T) and cortisol (C). Hormone changes in response to non-athletic competition are less predictable. Person (e.g., power motivation, mood, aggressiveness, social anxiety, sex, and baseline levels of T and C) and context (e.g., whether a competition is won or lost, the closeness of the competition, whether the outcome is perceived as being influenced by ability vs. chance, provocations) factors can influence hormone responses to competition. From early on, studies pointed to a positive relationship between T and dominance motivation/status striving. Recent research, however, suggests that this relationship only holds for individuals with low levels of C - this is the core idea of the dual-hormone hypothesis, and it is certain that the broadest applications of the hypothesis have not yet been realized. Individuals differ with respect to the extent to which they embrace competition, but the hormonal correlates of competitiveness remain largely unexplored. Although rapid increases in both T and C associated with competition are likely adaptive, we still know very little about the psychological benefits of these hormonal changes. Administration studies have and will continue to contribute to this inquiry. We close with a discussion of what, we think, are important methodological and mechanistic issues for future research.

Assessment of energy expenditure in elite jockeys during simulated race riding and a working day: implications for making weight

Professional jockeys are unique amongst weight-making athletes in that they are required to make weight on a daily basis by often using potentially hazardous methods, such as food deprivation, dehydration, and forced vomiting. To allow the prescription of accurate energy intake (EI), it is essential to understand the energy requirements of jockeys; however, these data are currently not known. Therefore, we measured the energy expenditure (EE) of professional jockeys during a simulated race ride and for a working day (nonracing) that involved typical stable duties. The accuracy of 2 portable lightweight devices, the Polar RS400 commercial heart rate monitor (CHRM) and the Actiheart monitor (AH) were initially assessed during 30 min of exercise compared with respiratory gas analysis (GA) (n = 9). No significant difference was observed (p > 0.05) and 95% limits of agreement analysis (LoA) showed that CHRM was more closely related to GA (bias: –0.015; LoA: –0.049, +0.019 MJ) than AH (bias: –0.007; LoA: –0.073, +0.059 MJ). A laboratory-based 2-mile (3.2-km) racing protocol was created and EE was assessed using CHRM, GA, and AH. We report that a typical race expends 0.18 (SD ±0.03) MJ. Finally, in a separate group of jockeys (n = 8), 24-h EE was assessed using CHRM. The mean (±SD) EE for a typical day was 11.26 (±1.49) MJ. Additionally, we measured EI using 7-day self-reporting food record diaries. Mean EI was 7.24 (±0.92) MJ, largely consumed as 2 main meals. These data provide a platform to implement dietary strategies that create appropriate weight-loss targets and therefore improve the physical and mental well-being of professional jockeys.

Evening Activities as a Potential Confound in Research on the Adrenocortical System in Children

The relation among children's evening activities, behavioral characteristics, and activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis was assessed in normally developing children ages 7 to 10 years. Salivary cortisol at bedtime was compared on evenings when children had structured activities outside of the home with unstructured evenings at home in relation to parental reports of children's behavioral characteristics. Participating in evening activities, particularly sport activities, was associated with small increases in bedtime cortisol levels in boys but not in girls. Differences in cortisol on activity versus no-activity nights were negatively related to children's social isolation. These results show that in studies with children, nights on which participants engage in sport activities should be avoided when collecting ambulatory measures of salivary cortisol concentrations.