Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Response and Recovery from High-Intensity Exercise in Women: Effects of Aging and Fitness
If most people were asked to list the benefits of exercise, I doubt many would reply that exercise can make the adrenal glands more responsive to hypothalamic control. This just illustrates that exercise’s beneficial effects cut accros an incredibly wide range of physiological systems.
In English, this study found that elderly women who exercise on a regular basis had adrenal glands that responded better than their sedentary cohorts. So, after exercise, cortisol levels are increased but should fall relatively quickly. But this response is slowed as we age. This can lead to abnormally elevated cortisol levels. However, exercise in the elderly women in this study restored a more normal response.
JCEM — Abstracts: Traustadóttir et al. 89 (7): 3248