I’ve always been curious about the impact of exercise on our hormones. Does strength training or endurance training have a bigger effect? Hormones are key for how well we perform, our body shape, and health. Many studies have looked into this, showing how different exercises affect our hormones. Let’s explore the science behind this to improve our workouts.
Key Takeaways
- Resistance training boosts testosterone levels a lot, but endurance training doesn’t1.
- Growth hormone responses can change with age, especially in teens1.
- Both men and women see similar VO2peak improvements from endurance training2.
- Women might find it harder to adapt to both endurance and strength training than men2.
- The menstrual cycle affects things like muscle strength, VO2max, and recovery2.
Understanding Hormonal Responses to Different Exercise Types
Building muscle and getting fit depends on knowing how different exercises affect hormones. Strength training, endurance training, and high-intensity interval training each impact hormones like growth hormone, testosterone, and3. These hormones are key for muscle growth, energy, and recovery.
Role of Growth Hormone and Testosterone
Exercise boosts testosterone, SHBG, IGF-1, and hGH in both men and women3. The size of these changes can vary a lot. This means how long and hard you exercise matters a lot for hormone levels.
Impact on Cortisol Levels
Exercise’s effect on cortisol is not always the same. Cortisol levels can go down or up a lot, with some effects being small or large3. Keeping anabolic and catabolic hormones in balance is important for muscle growth and recovery.
Insulin-like Growth Factor Changes
Exercise also changes IGF-1 levels. Studies show small to moderate increases in IGF-1 from different workouts3. This highlights the need for smart training to build muscle.
The mix of hormones like testosterone, growth hormone, and IGF-1 is what makes our bodies adapt to exercise. This leads to better muscle growth, strength, and fitness4. Knowing how these hormones work can help improve your workout results.
Strength Training vs Endurance Training Testosterone Impact
Research shows that different exercises affect testosterone levels in different ways. Weightlifting can raise testosterone levels temporarily, but the effect may not last long5. On the other hand, obese and overweight people might see an increase in testosterone when they start moving more5.
A 2018 study found that male elite athletes might have low testosterone. This could be because of high cortisol levels from intense workouts5. Also, people with more body fat and weight are more likely to have low testosterone5.
Resistance training, especially high-intensity interval training (HIIT), is believed to have a positive impact on testosterone levels compared to endurance-based exercises like cardio.56 The more intense and longer the resistance training, the bigger the testosterone boost56.
Testosterone levels go up right after weightlifting and intense activity. They peak between 15 minutes to an hour after56. Mixing endurance and resistance training might balance out the testosterone effect, leading to no net change5.
Regular exercise helps keep a healthy weight, improves heart health, and prevents metabolic syndrome. This indirectly helps keep testosterone levels healthy5. Doing a variety of exercises, not just resistance training, is good for overall health and testosterone balance5.
How exercise affects testosterone can vary a lot. It depends on genetics, age, and fitness level6. Always talk to a healthcare provider, especially one who knows about hormones, before starting intense exercise6.
Gender-Specific Adaptations and Performance Differences
The way body composition, cardio vs resistance training, and athletic performance differ between genders is complex7. Studies on how men and women adapt to training show mixed results. Some say women might face more challenges than men, while others believe strength training can help female runners a lot7.
Female-Specific Hormonal Considerations
The menstrual cycle can affect how women respond to training7. It seems to influence muscle function, oxygen use, and strength training gains7. Meta-analyses also found small performance gaps between menstrual phases. Hormonal birth control might also lower exercise performance a bit7.
Male Performance Advantages
It’s known that men and women perform differently in sports, but why is still debated8. Training boosts both cardiovascular and muscle performance, but how much varies by gender8.
Training Response Variations Between Sexes
Recent research found that young men’s muscles improved by 25% after Sprint Interval Training for 4 weeks8. High-Intensity Interval Training also boosts muscle function and endurance in just 2 weeks8. Yet, more research is needed to better understand these changes8.
It’s key to understand the unique needs of male and female athletes for better training programs78.
Training Program Design for Optimal Hormonal Response
Designing a good strength training program means knowing how hormones work. Certain training methods can change hormone levels. This affects muscle growth and strength. Anabolic hormones like testosterone help build muscle9. Growth hormones, released during deep sleep, also help build muscle when working with testosterone9.
But, too much training can raise cortisol levels. This hormone breaks down muscle and slows strength gain9. So, a good program balances these hormones for better muscle and strength9.
A good program mixes intense strength training with rest. The right training can boost hormones for muscle growth. But too much can hurt muscle and performance9. Adjusting how hard you train and how much rest you get can help. This supports natural testosterone boosters and muscle building910.
Source Links
- Effects of Resistance and Endurance Training Alone or Combined on Hormonal Adaptations and Cytokines in Healthy Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis – PubMed – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35727479/
- Frontiers | A 10-Week Block of Combined High-Intensity Endurance and Strength Training Produced Similar Changes in Dynamic Strength, Body Composition, and Serum Hormones in Women and Men – https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2020.581305/full
- Effects of Exercise Training on Anabolic and Catabolic Hormones with Advanced Age: A Systematic Review – Sports Medicine – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-021-01612-9
- Does Working Out Lift Men’s Testosterone Levels? – https://www.webmd.com/men/features/exercise-and-testosterone
- How Exercise Really Affects Your Testosterone, According to Doctors – https://www.menshealth.com/health/a42758649/does-working-out-increase-testosterone/
- Cardio vs. Strength Training to Increase Testosterone – https://lowtcenter.com/news-article/trt-cardio-vs-strength-training-to-increase-testosterone/
- Concurrent Strength and Endurance Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Impact of Sex and Training Status – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10933151/
- Adaptations to Endurance and Strength Training – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5983157/
- Hormonal Response to Strength Training – https://blog.bridgeathletic.com/hormonal-response-to-strength-training
- Hormonal and inflammatory responses in prepubertal vs. pubertal male children following an acute free-weight resistance training session – European Journal of Applied Physiology – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-024-05603-2
I've been fascinated by natural male hormone optimization since 2016. And ever since I've been going through boatloads of different meta-analyses and scientific data associated with increasing testosterone levels naturally. I hold a PhD degree in public health and have 10+ scientific publications on Google Scholar. Thus, in my collective work here you'll find helpful tricks, natural remedies, detailed product reviews (including stuff I've personally tried)... and more!