Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls
IntroductionIn female athletes, the interpretation of doping tests is complex due to hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use, both influencing the urinary steroid profile. Exercise is suggested to affect circulating steroid hormone levels, and in women, the urin...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.702305/full |
| _version_ | 1818449554871156736 |
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| author | Emma Eklund Alexander Andersson Lena Ekström Angelica Lindén Hirschberg Angelica Lindén Hirschberg |
| author_facet | Emma Eklund Alexander Andersson Lena Ekström Angelica Lindén Hirschberg Angelica Lindén Hirschberg |
| author_sort | Emma Eklund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionIn female athletes, the interpretation of doping tests is complex due to hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use, both influencing the urinary steroid profile. Exercise is suggested to affect circulating steroid hormone levels, and in women, the urinary steroid profile differs between in competition testing and out of competition testing. No previous study has investigated the relationship between amount of exercise and the urinary steroid profile in female elite athletes.PurposeTo compare the urinary steroid profile between female Olympic athletes and age- and BMI-matched untrained controls, and to study the urinary steroid profile in relation to serum hormones and amount of exercise.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study conducted at the Women’s Health Research Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, 94 female elite athletes and 86 untrained controls were included. Serum estrogens and testosterone and the urinary steroid profile were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. Exercise hours/week were evaluated by questionnaire.ResultsAlthough serum steroid hormones were comparable between groups, the athletes demonstrated approximately 30% lower urinary steroid metabolites of testosterone, epitestosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone, 5α-androstan-3α, 17β-diol, and 5β-androstan-3α, 17β-diol compared to the controls. The urinary steroid metabolites correlated positively with serum steroid hormones. In the athletes, urinary steroid metabolites: androsterone (rs = −0.28, p = 0.007), epitestosterone (rs = −0.22, p = 0.034), 5αAdiol (rs = −0.31, p = 0.002) and testosterone (rs = −0.24, p = 0.026), were negatively correlated with amount of training (hours per week).ConclusionThe urinary concentrations of steroid metabolites were lower in elite athletes than in sedentary controls, although serum steroids were comparable between groups. Moreover, exercise time was negatively associated with the urinary concentrations. Our findings suggest alternative excretion routes of androgens in the athletes related to training. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:37:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a6c74deec9d4905aa4731a72de19333 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:37:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a6c74deec9d4905aa4731a72de193332022-12-21T22:48:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2021-08-011210.3389/fphys.2021.702305702305Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained ControlsEmma Eklund0Alexander Andersson1Lena Ekström2Angelica Lindén Hirschberg3Angelica Lindén Hirschberg4Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Division of Neonatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Women’s and Children’s Health, Division of Neonatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, SwedenIntroductionIn female athletes, the interpretation of doping tests is complex due to hormonal variations during the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptive use, both influencing the urinary steroid profile. Exercise is suggested to affect circulating steroid hormone levels, and in women, the urinary steroid profile differs between in competition testing and out of competition testing. No previous study has investigated the relationship between amount of exercise and the urinary steroid profile in female elite athletes.PurposeTo compare the urinary steroid profile between female Olympic athletes and age- and BMI-matched untrained controls, and to study the urinary steroid profile in relation to serum hormones and amount of exercise.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study conducted at the Women’s Health Research Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, 94 female elite athletes and 86 untrained controls were included. Serum estrogens and testosterone and the urinary steroid profile were analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. Exercise hours/week were evaluated by questionnaire.ResultsAlthough serum steroid hormones were comparable between groups, the athletes demonstrated approximately 30% lower urinary steroid metabolites of testosterone, epitestosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone, 5α-androstan-3α, 17β-diol, and 5β-androstan-3α, 17β-diol compared to the controls. The urinary steroid metabolites correlated positively with serum steroid hormones. In the athletes, urinary steroid metabolites: androsterone (rs = −0.28, p = 0.007), epitestosterone (rs = −0.22, p = 0.034), 5αAdiol (rs = −0.31, p = 0.002) and testosterone (rs = −0.24, p = 0.026), were negatively correlated with amount of training (hours per week).ConclusionThe urinary concentrations of steroid metabolites were lower in elite athletes than in sedentary controls, although serum steroids were comparable between groups. Moreover, exercise time was negatively associated with the urinary concentrations. Our findings suggest alternative excretion routes of androgens in the athletes related to training.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.702305/fullserum androgensurinary steroid profileathlete biological passportexercisefemale athlete |
| spellingShingle | Emma Eklund Alexander Andersson Lena Ekström Angelica Lindén Hirschberg Angelica Lindén Hirschberg Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls Frontiers in Physiology serum androgens urinary steroid profile athlete biological passport exercise female athlete |
| title | Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls |
| title_full | Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls |
| title_fullStr | Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls |
| title_full_unstemmed | Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls |
| title_short | Urinary Steroid Profile in Elite Female Athletes in Relation to Serum Androgens and in Comparison With Untrained Controls |
| title_sort | urinary steroid profile in elite female athletes in relation to serum androgens and in comparison with untrained controls |
| topic | serum androgens urinary steroid profile athlete biological passport exercise female athlete |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.702305/full |
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