The validity of capillary blood sampling in the determination of human growth hormone concentration during exercise in men

Abstract

Background:Studies measuring human growth hormone (hGH) in blood during exercise have mainly used venous sampling. The invasive nature of this procedure makes evaluation of hGH impossible in various exercise environments.Objective:To determine whether capillary sampling could offer an alternative sampling method.Methods:Capillary and venous blood samples were collected for determination of hGH at the end of each exercise stage during an incremental exercise test in 16 male club level competitive cyclists (mean (SD) age 30.8 (8.0) years, body mass 72.2 (7.1) kg, body fat 12.9 (3.5)%, peak oxygen consumption 4.18 (0.46) l⋅min⁻¹). Linear regression, from a plot of venousvcapillary blood hGH concentration, showed a correlation coefficient ofr = 0.986 (pConclusions:Capillary blood sampling is an acceptable alternative to venous sampling for determining hGH concentration during rest and exercise. Sample sites should not be used interchangeably: one site should be chosen and its use standardised.