Institute of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Basel , Basel , Switzerland .
Stress. 2013 Nov;16(6):593-9. doi: 10.3109/10253890.2013.823599. Epub 2013 Aug 6.
Assessing long-term cortisol secretion presents difficulties when cortisol measurement is carried out by saliva, plasma and urine analyses. Hair cortisol has gained increased interest as an alternative biological marker. So far, one study has been published studying hair cortisol in endurance athletes, showing higher levels compared to controls. Using accelerometer data in the present study, we cross-sectionally explored the relationship between moderate physical activity (MPA) and vigorous physical activity (VPA) levels and hair cortisol concentrations after taking into account age, gender, and perceived stress. Hair specimens were collected from 46 university students (20 males, 26 females, Mage ± SD =21.2 ± 1.87 years). Participants provided information about their socio-demographic background and levels of perceived stress. Accelerometer data were collected to assess physical activity. Cortisol concentrations were measured in the first 3-cm hair segment nearest to the scalp. MPA was not correlated with hair cortisol content (r = -0.08). A significant correlation was found between VPA and hair cortisol (r = 0.34, p < 0.05). A regression analysis revealed that participants with higher VPA had elevated hair cortisol concentrations even after taking into account age, gender and perceived stress (β = 0.33, p < 0.05, ΔR(2 )= 0.106). This is the first study showing that objectively assessed VPA is associated with increased hair cortisol levels in young adults. As VPA can be regarded as a physical stressor, it seems imperative that researchers consider participants' levels of VPA if they examine the relationship between stress exposure, hair cortisol and health.
评估长期皮质醇分泌时，如果使用唾液、血浆和尿液分析进行皮质醇测量会存在困难。毛发皮质醇作为一种替代生物标志物受到了越来越多的关注。到目前为止，只有一项研究发表了关于耐力运动员毛发皮质醇的研究，结果显示其水平高于对照组。本研究使用加速度计数据，在考虑年龄、性别和感知压力的情况下，横断面探讨了中度体力活动（MPA）和剧烈体力活动（VPA）水平与毛发皮质醇浓度之间的关系。从 46 名大学生（20 名男性，26 名女性，平均年龄±标准差为 21.2±1.87 岁）中采集毛发样本。参与者提供了有关其社会人口统计学背景和感知压力水平的信息。使用加速度计数据评估体力活动。在距头皮最近的第一 3-cm 毛发段中测量皮质醇浓度。MPA 与毛发皮质醇含量无相关性（r=-0.08）。VPA 与毛发皮质醇之间存在显著相关性（r=0.34，p<0.05）。回归分析显示，VPA 较高的参与者即使在考虑年龄、性别和感知压力后，其毛发皮质醇浓度也升高（β=0.33，p<0.05，ΔR²=0.106）。这是第一项表明客观评估的 VPA 与年轻人毛发皮质醇水平升高相关的研究。由于 VPA 可被视为一种身体应激源，如果研究人员要研究应激暴露、毛发皮质醇与健康之间的关系，他们似乎必须考虑参与者的 VPA 水平。
