Abstract

Cortisol is among the human body's most necessary hormones. On any given day, cortisol's primary function is to control how our body creates and utilizes energy. This study examined the influence of exercise on the cortisol levels.Twenty female subjects had their cortisol levels determined before their morning exercise (Pre) and after their morning exercise (Post) using microplate enzyme immunoassay method. Theresult of study showed that there was significant difference (P<0.05) in the cortisol levels before exercise 13.49 ± 0.90ug/dl Compared with after exercise 15.10±1.08ug/dl. It was also observed that there was no significant difference in the cortisol level (P>0.05) obtained from the female subjects before and after exercise between the ages of 21-23, 24-26 and 27-29 years. Collectively, these results showed that exercise provoked increased in cortisol level.

Keywords:Cortisol, Immunoassay, Exercise, Hormone.