Age-related changes affect the ratio between two steroid hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (sulfate) (DHEA[S]). Physical activity (PA) may buffer the effects of chronic stress and counteract the aging decline of DHEA(S). Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to understand how PA influences physiological markers of cortisol and/or DHEA(S) and whether there is a difference in observational associations or experimental effects in older adults aged 65 years and older. A narrative synthesis was performed on nine observational studies, and meta-analyses were performed on 22 randomized controlled trials. There was low- to moderate-quality evidence that regular PA beneficially reduces cortisol and increases DHEA(S) levels. Subgroup analyses showed no clinically important differences between men and women, different exercise modalities, or health states. The findings cautiously suggest that regular PA of older adults’ own choice that they find enjoyable could be recommended to improve cortisol and/or DHEA(S) levels.

与年龄相关的变化会影响下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴的两种类固醇激素皮质醇和脱氢表雄酮（硫酸盐）(DHEA[S]) 之间的比率。身体活动 (PA) 可以缓冲慢性压力的影响并抵消 DHEA(S) 的老化衰退。因此，进行了一项系统回顾，以了解 PA 如何影响皮质醇和/或 DHEA(S) 的生理标志物，以及在 65 岁及以上的老年人中观察关联或实验效果是否存在差异。对九项观察性研究进行了叙述性综合，并对 22 项随机对照试验进行了荟萃分析。有低到中等质量的证据表明，定期 PA 有益于降低皮质醇并增加 DHEA(S) 水平。亚组分析显示，男性和女性、不同的运动方式或健康状况之间没有临床上重要的差异。研究结果谨慎地表明，可以推荐老年人自己选择他们觉得愉快的常规 PA 来提高皮质醇和/或 DHEA(S) 水平。