0000000001044066
AUTHOR
Eberhard Nieschlag
The effect of an 1100 km run on testicular, adrenal and thyroid hormones
Although endocrine effects of physical or psychological stress are well documented, it is not known to what extent adaptation to prolonged exertion occurs. We therefore investigated the impact of an 1100 km run of 20 days' duration on selected pituitary, testicular, adrenal and thyroid hormones. Blood samples were obtained from five male athletes prior to and after the day's run on the 1st, 5th, 9th, 14th and 19th day. Results show that adrenal and thyroid function soon adapt to the daily strain. Testosterone levels, however, were markedly decreased throughout the 20 days while LH levels remained unchanged. Thus it appears that the reproductive endocrine system is more susceptible to long-t…
Ten years' experience with an external quality control program for semen analysis
To gauge the performance of laboratories and impact of the German semen analysis external quality control program (QuaDeGA) over its first 10 years.Retrospective analysis of QuaDeGA's twice yearly distribution of fixed semen samples and electronic material documenting sperm motility. Ranking of each participant's responses was determined according to their relation to a "target window."Multicenter. PAITENT(S): Healthy donors.None.Laboratory performance, World Health Organization (WHO) adherence.Over 19 runs, there was a steady increase of participants (280 laboratories), the largest group being private urologic practices. Although use of WHO-recommended Neubauer chamber (from 33% to 55%) an…