The Effect of Acute Exercise on Skin Potential in Trained Athletes

Endosomatic electrodermal activity (skin potential level, skin potential response and latency) as an indirect indicator of sympathetic nervous system activity was measured in 22 trained athletes during resting and after acute exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in skin potential parameters in trained atheletes before and after acute exercise on a bicycle ergometer. Skin potential level (SPL) increased (p<0.01) and SPR decreased (p<0.05) after the exercise but latency had no significant difference. The fact that the mean SPL values were higher after the exercise can be explained by the increased sympathetic sudorific activity and so increased function of the sweat glands. Another reason may be the sweat duct pores which were more active and open after the exercise. Also the decrease in he SPR was thought to depend on the lower sweating thereshold.