Objective: To study the effects of flaxseed on the content of testosterone

correlated hormones and anti-fatigue ability of rats after exercise. Method: By using the model of high-intensity endurance training

55 6-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups

with 10 in each group (5 rats which did not meet the requirement were removed):control group (C group)

motion group (M group)

exercise+ig low-dose flaxseed group (FMⅠ group)

exercise+ig middle-dose flaxseed group (FMⅡ group)

and exercise+ig high-dose flaxseed group (FMⅢ group). Gavage was performed using professional device once a day. The rats in flaxseed groups were gavaged with 0.75

1.5

4.5 g·kg-1 with ig volume of 5 mL·kg-1. The rats in C and M groups were given saline of same volume. After 42 days of exhaustive swimming training

body weight

swimming time and serum testosterone and other biochemical markers were measured. Result: Body weight of the rats in M groups was lower than that in C group (P<0.05)

and in all doses of flaxseed groups was higher than in M group (P<0.05) which did not show any differences between flaxseed groups. Swimming time in all doses of flaxseed groups was longer than in M group (P<0.01)

and there were dose-response. Serum testosterone in M group was lower than C group (P<0.01)

in the same time

serum testosterone was higher in all doses of flaxseed groups than M group [FMⅠ(4.83±1.15) nmol·L-1

FMⅡ (4.93±1.13) nmol·L-1

FMⅢ (5.11±1.12) nmol·L-1

P<0.01]. The serum corticosterone levels in each group showed no significant differences. Changes in the ratio of serum testosterone/corticosterone were more consistent with testosterone changes among the groups. There were no differences in luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone between C group and M group. But luteinizing hormone in all doses of flaxseed groups was higher than in M group (P<0.05). In mean time

follicle-stimulating hormone in all doses of flaxseed groups was higher than in M group (P<0.05). There were no differences in both luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone between groups in all doses of flaxseed groups. Conclusion: The supplement of flaxseed can alleviate the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad axis function disorder caused by exercise through multiple targets and multiple ways. Finally

flaxseed can prevent the decrease of serum testosterone after high-intensity exercise and improve anti-fatigue ability.