Cholinergic and opioid involvement in release of growth hormone during exercise and recovery

Cholinergic and opioid pathways have been implicated as mediators of the increased growth hormone (GH) release observed during exercise. This study compared the GH responses induced by a moderate-intensity exercise bout during treatment with placebo (Plac), the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (Nalt), the indirect cholinergic agonist pyridostigmine (PD), or a combination of the two drugs (P + N). Ten active males served as subjects (age, 25.1 +/- 0.6 yr; wt, 79.7 +/- 2.5 kg; % body fat, 14.9 +/- 1.4; peak oxygen consumption, 46.2 +/- 2.7 ml.kg-1 x min-1). Blood samples were drawn at 5-min intervals during the 4.5-h testing period to determine the GH concentration. The testing period was divided as follows: 0600–700 h = baseline, 0700–0800 h = preexercise, 0800–0830 h = exercise, and 0830–1030 h = recovery. Drugs were administered 1 h before exercise (at 0700 h). Exercise consisted of 30 min of cycling at an individualized work load previously found to elicit a blood lactate concentration of 2.5 mM. Heart rate, oxygen consumption, blood lactate, and blood glucose were measured throughout the exercise period. Results indicated that neither the resting GH concentration nor the metabolic parameters during exercise were altered by the treatments. Peak serum GH concentration was not significantly altered by the treatments (range 7.3 +/- 2.0 to 12.6 +/- 4.4 micrograms/l).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)