What is EHM?

What are hormones?

Hormones are chemical signals that regulate and integrate the different systems of the human body (e.g. nervous, muscular, endocrine) at a cellular level. Testosterone and cortisol are two of the most recognized hormones from the steroid family, and often considered the primary anabolic and catabolic hormones, respectively.

Why are hormones important for athletes?

A major role for testosterone and cortisol is to control long-term muscle growth and force production, especially with strength training. In the short-term, these hormones also help to regulate muscle contractions, energy metabolism, behavior and cognitive function, all of which are important to athletes. Studies have shown that hormone levels can affect athlete performance during exercise, training and competition, along with training and detraining adaptation. Hormones have also been used to determine the optimal warm-up procedures and training methods, and to evaluate the effects of nutrition. Thus, the monitoring of hormones within sport can provide information to better understand and help maximize athletic performance and development.

How do we monitor hormones?

Saliva is becoming increasingly important as a medium for hormone determination in athletes; because it offers rapid and stress-free collection, and reflects the very small (< 5%) hormone portion in blood that is available to tissue. The salivary hormones can also provide a better marker of stress than the blood hormones and, potentially, a better marker of hormone activity in tissue. In recent years, the use of saliva to monitor hormones in athletes has contributed greatly to the understanding of the physiological consequences of exercise, training and competition.