About this Research Topic
The relationship between physical activity and the endocrine system represents an interesting topic involving several fields, from the physiopathological mechanisms of adaptation of the endocrine system during physical exercise to the impact of endocrine pathologies on physical performance. Physical activity represents a “stressor”, which disrupts homeostasis and activates many endogenous stress-reactive components. The response to physical exercise can be attenuated by chronic exercise through a body adaptation to training, up to the “overtraining” condition, which may override these adaptive mechanisms, leading to endocrine system dysfunction. These physiopathological mechanisms establish the basis on which the clinical relationship between physical activity and the endocrine system are founded.
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a “state of the art” of knowledge about the impact of physical activity on endocrine system, but also to improve the possible relationship among hormones, endocrine pathologies and physical activities. This field is not well debated in Literature and represents an important challenge to better understand the impact of endocrine dysfunction and athletic performance. Physical activity can exert a direct effect on endocrine pathologies, as confirmed by the increased prevalence of specific endocrine dysfunctions in some groups of athletes (e.g., hypopituitarism in sports causing head trauma). On the other hand, less is known about the impact of specific endocrine pathologies on physical performance, especially for those endocrine pathologies that can have an impact on the cardiovascular system or skeletal-muscle tissue. Therefore, the Research Topic will be based on a clinical approach, aimed at evaluating the possible changes in physical performance occurring during endocrine diseases.
Themes of interest include, but not limited to:
• Hormonal changes during physical activity
• Impact of physical activity in endocrine diseases. This field will be focused in evaluating the incidence of endocrine diseases (such as pituitary diseases, …) in particular groups of athletes.
• Impact of endocrine diseases on physical performance. How can endocrine pathologies interfere with physical performance?
The goal of this Research Topic is to provide a “state of the art” of knowledge about the impact of physical activity on endocrine system, but also to improve the possible relationship among hormones, endocrine pathologies and physical activities. This field is not well debated in Literature and represents an important challenge to better understand the impact of endocrine dysfunction and athletic performance. Physical activity can exert a direct effect on endocrine pathologies, as confirmed by the increased prevalence of specific endocrine dysfunctions in some groups of athletes (e.g., hypopituitarism in sports causing head trauma). On the other hand, less is known about the impact of specific endocrine pathologies on physical performance, especially for those endocrine pathologies that can have an impact on the cardiovascular system or skeletal-muscle tissue. Therefore, the Research Topic will be based on a clinical approach, aimed at evaluating the possible changes in physical performance occurring during endocrine diseases.
Themes of interest include, but not limited to:
• Hormonal changes during physical activity
• Impact of physical activity in endocrine diseases. This field will be focused in evaluating the incidence of endocrine diseases (such as pituitary diseases, …) in particular groups of athletes.
• Impact of endocrine diseases on physical performance. How can endocrine pathologies interfere with physical performance?
Keywords: Physical activity, growth hormones, hypogonadism, thyroid diseases, adrenal diseases, osteoporosis
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
