Background and study aim It is well known that professional physical training may be one of the factors modifying s circulating serum level of growth hormone, testosterone and cortisol. However, the effect of high-intensity upper and lower body Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) on the serum hormone levels in association to vitamin D status still remains unspecified. The aim of the current study was to verify hypotheses that a longstanding background in elite gymnastics training induces adaptive changes in hormonal homeostasis during upper- and lower-body WAnT, and that these changes are modulated by muscle group engagement and vitamin D status. Materials and methods Fifteen elite male artistic gymnasts (21.3 ± 3.4 years-old) and 14 physically active men (the control group, 20.2 ± 1.1) voluntarily participated in this study. Blood was collected using venipuncture procedures (antecubital vein) in tree timepoints: before, immediately and 60 min after WAnT. Hormone measurements consisted of levels of free human growth hormone (hGH), testosterone and cortisol in blood serum. Measurement was made using chemiluminescence method. Vitamin D active metabolites, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 [25(OH)D2] and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3], as a proportion of the total serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], were analysed using the commercially available Total 25OH Vitamin D ELISA kits. Results Significantly higher performance during upper-body WAnT were observed in professional gymnasts` groups, for mean power normalized to body mass. Furthermore, gymnasts showed higher serum concentration for hGH, and testosterone immediately after upper-body WAnT. An inverse relationship was observed in cortisol, whose concentration changes were greater in the control group. Additionally, in control group, baseline vitamin D positively correlated with cortisol changes post lower-body WAnT but negatively with testosterone changes immediately after lower-body WAnT. Conclusions Gymnastic training affects anaerobic performance and hormonal status by altering the serum concentrations of hGH, cortisol, and testosterone in response to anaerobic exercise. Moreover, hormonal status is associated with vitamin D concentration, and shows its significant regulating properties in post exercises response.
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