Endocrine Modulation in Long-Term Karate Practitioners
| Autor: | María J. Blanca, Soledad Sánchez-Montes, Francisca M. Vera, Francisco M. Rodríguez-Peña, Gabriel A. Carranque, Juan M. Manzaneque |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
Martial arts
Article Subject 030209 endocrinology & metabolism lcsh:Other systems of medicine lcsh:RZ201-999 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Complementary and alternative medicine Thyroid hormones Healthy volunteers Endocrine system Psychology 030217 neurology & neurosurgery Research Article Hormone Balance (ability) Clinical psychology |
| Zdroj: | Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Vol 2018 (2018) Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM |
| Popis: | Purpose. Karate is a martial arts discipline which is widely practiced in the Western world as a form of self-defense, as well as a discipline to achieve physical and mental balance. However, little is known with respect to its specific psychobiological effects, particularly in relation to the influence that it may exert on the endocrine system. Thus, in the present study, we examined the effects of karate on several hormonal parameters of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid axes in long-time practitioners. Methods. Twenty-two healthy volunteer subjects (12 experimental and 10 controls) participated in the study. Experimental subjects were karate players with a minimum of 3 years of practice in this discipline. Blood samples for the quantification of hormonal parameters were taken in both groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed for each variable in order to analyze the differences between groups. Results. Statistically significant differences were found in cortisol and thyroid hormones, with the karate group showing lower levels of these hormones as compared to control. Conclusions. These findings, therefore, reveal that long-term karate practice is associated with a significant endocrine modulation, which suggests interesting psychobiological and clinical implications. Further research is needed to verify these preliminary results, as well as properly assessing its possible use as a psychosomatic intervention tool. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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