Salivary α-amylase and cortisol after exercise in menopause. influence of long-term HRT

ABSTRACT Objectives This observational prospective study analyzed the effect of an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on the secretion of salivary biomarkers of the adrenergic nervous system and hypothalamus – pituitary – adrenal (HPA) axis activity by measuring salivary α -amylase and cortisol diurnal trajectories in the setting of long-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Methods Fifteen healthy sedentary postmenopausal women who were current HRT users and 15 women who had never used HRT were consecutively recruited. α -Amylase and cortisol were measured in salivary samples collected on the CPET day and on a rest day. Cardiovascular and respiratory fi tness parameters were recorded during the CPET challenge. Results The participants had very homogeneous somatic characteristics, and they were all in generally good health. The postmenopausal never-HRT users presented an abnormal diurnal pattern of α -amylase at baseline and a fl attened response to CPET. In contrast, w