Training Responses and Adaptations of the Endocrine System

This chapter explains the hormone and neurohormone regulation in the body during rest and exercise and how steroid, peptide, and amine hormones differ. Neurohormones are involved in the proper functioning of a healthy system. Hormones are chemical compounds produced by endocrine tissues and typically released into the circulation. The chapter explores the roles that testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone, and insulin play during and after exercise and describes the acute and chronic adaptations that occur within the endocrine system in response to training. It also describes the differences between genders as they pertain to the various hormones. The chapter presents the different types of hormones, such as steroid hormones, peptide hormones, and amine hormones. It explains how hormones can affect various training programs and continue to optimize performance to avoid overtraining. Peptide hormones are synthesized when the appropriate signal for hormone production results in messenger RNA being produced in the cell nucleus.