The Impact of Aerobic Exercise and Ramadan Fasting on Fluctuation of Some Blood Hormones

The metabolic and physiological responses of the body to physical activities under optimal nutrition have been recognized. However the effect of physical activities under fasting situations has rarely been studied. In the present study the effect of aerobic exercises on the fluctuation of some blood hormones of the fasting people was examined. Forty healthy non-athletic males were randomly selected and divided into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent an aerobic program in Ramadan fasting with 70% heart rate reserve for three days in a week for the whole month. Thyroid hormones (TSHT4T3) and Insulin were measured in four stages: before after and in 15th and 29th days of Ramadan. The samples before and after Ramadan month were collected after 12 hours of fasting over night and the 15th and 29th Ramadan samples were collected before breaking the fast from the left brachial vein. The comparison between experimental and control groups showed that insulin and T3 level had not difference (p>0/05). Increase of TSH and decrease of T4 in the experimental group in the 29th of Ramadan month were significant compared to the control group. (p=0.036 & p=0.015 respectively). Aerobic exercises during fasting cause increasing TSH & T4. It seems that the thyroid and hypophysis gland secretions are influenced by exercise that can be due to the increase in active tissue metabolism and thyroid hormone role in the body adaptation mechanism to provide active tissue demands