Zeitschrift für Biochemie und Physiologie

Chronic Low Testosterone Levels in EnduranceTrained Men: The Exercise Hypogonadal Male Condition

AC Hackney* and Eser Aggon

Sportsmen and women who participate in endurance events perform a tremendous amount of exercise training. For instance, it is not uncommon for a marathon or ultra-distance runner to perform150 to 200 kilometers of intensive running per week as part of their regular training. Chronic exercise training to this extent results in
positive physiological adaptations that are highly advantageous to the human body. For example, there is an enhancement of the maximal cardiac stroke volume, maximal cardiac output, maximal arterial-venous oxygen differential, increased erythrocyte number, decreased levels of stored adiposity and increased skeletal muscle
mitochondrial density.