Effect of Zinc supplementation on serum testosterone and plasma lactate in male cyclist after one bout of exhaustive exercise

There is fairly scarce information about the effects of zinc, an essential trace element, on exercise performance. Studies concentrate mostly on the distribution of this element in the body in response to exercise. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of exhaustion exercise on the testosterone levels and plasma lactates in road cyclists who are supplemented with oral zinc for 4 weeks.

In this semi experimental sixteen male road cyclists, who were healthy in the first evaluation were selected from the Tehran traffic team and were divided into two groups according to mass body index; zinc group and control group. After 4 weeks zinc supplementation (30 mg/day), blood samples were collected from each subject before and after an exhaustive exercise bout. Data were analyzed by independent and paired sample t test.

Total testosterone, free testosterione and lactate levels in two groups were increased by exercise (P<0.05) and there was no significant differences between total testosterone and lactate levels in two groups before and after exhaustion exercise (P>0.05). There was a significant difference between effects of exhaustion exercise on free testosterone levels between two groups (P<0.05).

According to this study, zinc supplementation has no significant effects on testosterone and lactate levels in response to exercise in subjects with a balance diet. However, free testosterone levels were increased by exercise after zinc supplementation.