The effect of estradiol on IL-6 concentration in response to an acute bout of exercise

The effect of estradiol on IL-6 concentration in response to an acute bout of exercise Public Deposited

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Creator

Koltun, Kristen
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Exercise and Sport Science

Abstract

This study attempted to find the effect of differing estradiol (E2) concentrations on the IL-6 response to an acute bout of exercise. Ten eumenorrheic women (n=10) who were not using oral contraceptives completed two 60 minute running sessions at 61% VO2 peak, once during the follicular phase (low E2) and once during the luteal phase (high E2) of the menstrual cycle. Resting, immediately post exercise, and 30 minute recovery blood samples were assessed for IL-6. Resting E2 concentrations confirmed the appropriate hormonal status for each experimental session. Neither the absolute concentration of IL-6 nor the percent change in IL-6 from rest was significantly different between phases (main effect and interaction effect; responses approached significance; p=0.07). In conclusion, there is no relationship between E2 and IL-6 in response to exercise; although IL-6 trends towards being lower with high E2 concentration. Based on this, it cannot be suggested that female athletes should alter training levels based on hormonal status, however, additional research is necessary as this study was underpowered (β=0.73).

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