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A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners
Over the past decade long distance marathon running has become an important recreational activity. There is evidence that males with high levels of physical activity have some impairment of fertility. In order to investigate this further, 24 male marathon runners were studied over a period of a year...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
2018
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| _version_ | 1867613201619746816 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Jensen, Carl Edward |
| author2 | van der Spuy, Zephne Margaret |
| author_browse | Jensen, Carl Edward van der Spuy, Zephne Margaret |
| author_facet | van der Spuy, Zephne Margaret Jensen, Carl Edward |
| author_sort | Jensen, Carl Edward |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Over the past decade long distance marathon running has become an important recreational activity. There is evidence that males with high levels of physical activity have some impairment of fertility. In order to investigate this further, 24 male marathon runners were studied over a period of a year. Each runner was assessed at regular intervals using hormonal profiles, anthropomorphic indices and semen evaluation. The training time and distance run increased progressively over the first five months of the study as the runners prepared for the Two Oceans marathon. Analysis of the serum hormonal profiles in this longitudinal study showed that the prolactin level increased when comparing the initial study month with the rest of the year and the progesterone level decreased. However the luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and estradiol (E2) levels remained unchanged. When the runners were divided into a high and low training group according to the distance run in the preceding week, the only significant difference was the lower mean serum FSH level in the high training group. A decrease in semen volume was demonstrated as the training time increased. This trend was reversed as the runners' training decreased after the Two Oceans marathon. The percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa showed an initial significant decrease in the first month of training. However, no significant difference was observed throughout the rest of year. An overall downward trend in semen motility in the first 5 months of the study was shown but this was only significant if the first and fifth study months were compared. The decrease in semen motility coincided with the period of maximum training. Since patients with an adequate sperm count but decreased motility have impaired fertility this finding is of considerable importance. In addition to the decrease in motility, there was a decrease in the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa when the initial month of low physical activity (December) was compared to all of the subsequent months analysed. This, too, is an important finding as the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa correlates directly with fertilisation and pregnancy rates. When the results were analysed in the high and low training months there was a significant difference in mean semen count and semen morphology. The mean count was higher in the high training group and this group also had a significantly higher normal morphology. However, there was no significant difference in semen volume and motility in the high and low training groups. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/27133 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:21.936Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publishDateRange | 2018 |
| publishDateSort | 2018 |
| publisher | Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
| publisherStr | Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/27133 A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners Jensen, Carl Edward van der Spuy, Zephne Margaret Hormones - Analysis Running Semen - analysis Over the past decade long distance marathon running has become an important recreational activity. There is evidence that males with high levels of physical activity have some impairment of fertility. In order to investigate this further, 24 male marathon runners were studied over a period of a year. Each runner was assessed at regular intervals using hormonal profiles, anthropomorphic indices and semen evaluation. The training time and distance run increased progressively over the first five months of the study as the runners prepared for the Two Oceans marathon. Analysis of the serum hormonal profiles in this longitudinal study showed that the prolactin level increased when comparing the initial study month with the rest of the year and the progesterone level decreased. However the luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone and estradiol (E2) levels remained unchanged. When the runners were divided into a high and low training group according to the distance run in the preceding week, the only significant difference was the lower mean serum FSH level in the high training group. A decrease in semen volume was demonstrated as the training time increased. This trend was reversed as the runners' training decreased after the Two Oceans marathon. The percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa showed an initial significant decrease in the first month of training. However, no significant difference was observed throughout the rest of year. An overall downward trend in semen motility in the first 5 months of the study was shown but this was only significant if the first and fifth study months were compared. The decrease in semen motility coincided with the period of maximum training. Since patients with an adequate sperm count but decreased motility have impaired fertility this finding is of considerable importance. In addition to the decrease in motility, there was a decrease in the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa when the initial month of low physical activity (December) was compared to all of the subsequent months analysed. This, too, is an important finding as the percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa correlates directly with fertilisation and pregnancy rates. When the results were analysed in the high and low training months there was a significant difference in mean semen count and semen morphology. The mean count was higher in the high training group and this group also had a significantly higher normal morphology. However, there was no significant difference in semen volume and motility in the high and low training groups. 2018-01-30T13:59:46Z 2018-01-30T13:59:46Z 1993 Master Thesis Masters MMed http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27133 eng application/pdf Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Hormones - Analysis Running Semen - analysis Jensen, Carl Edward A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners |
| title_full | A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners |
| title_fullStr | A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners |
| title_full_unstemmed | A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners |
| title_short | A longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners |
| title_sort | longitudinal study of hormonal and semen profiles in a marathon runners |
| topic | Hormones - Analysis Running Semen - analysis |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27133 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jensencarledward alongitudinalstudyofhormonalandsemenprofilesinamarathonrunners AT jensencarledward longitudinalstudyofhormonalandsemenprofilesinamarathonrunners |