URINARY EXCRETION OF FREE NORADRENALINE AND ADRENALINE IN TRAINED AND UNTRAINED MEN

Measurements of free noradrenaline and adrenaline were made in the urine of 28 men sampled after rest and exercise prior to, and following six and twelve weeks of an exercise programme. The training consisted of thirty minutes of running and walking four times per week at an intensity estimated at 75 % of the age-predicted maximum heart rate. A fifteen minute standardized cycle ergometer work test was conducted on all subjects prior to the training and following six and twelve weeks of training. Noradrenaline and adrenaline excretions in the urine were measured before and after the work test. Significant decreases in noradrenaline excretion measured during rest and after exercise were found in the training group, while the excretion levels of catecholamines increased or remained the same for the untrained group throughout the study. It was concluded that resting and exercise catecholamines were lowered in the subjects who participated in an exercise programme, and that the changes are more apparent in noradrenaline than adrenaline