Pituitary-adrenal-gonadal responses to high-intensity resistance exercise overtraining

Weight-trained men [OT; n = 11; age = 22.0 +/- 0.9 (SE) yr] resistance trai ned daily at 100% one-repetition maximum (1-RM) intensity for 2 wk, resulti ng in 1-RM strength decrements and in an overtrained state. A control group (Con; n = 6; age = 23.7 +/- 2.4 yr) trained 1 day/wk at a low relative int ensity (50% 1 RM). After 2 wk, the OT group exhibited slightly increased ex ercise-induced testosterone (preexercise = 26.5 +/- 1.3 nmol/l, postexercis e = 29.1 +/- 5.9 nmol/l) and testosterone-to-cortisol ratio (preexercise = 0.049 +/- 0.007 nmol/l, postexercise = 0.061 +/- 0.006 nmol/l) and decrease d exercise-induced cortisol (preexercise = 656.1 +/- 98.1 nmol/l, postexerc ise = 503.1 +/- 39.7 nmol/l). Serum concentrations for growth hormone and p lasma peptide F [preproenkephalin (107-140)] were similar for both groups t hroughout the overtraining period. This hormonal profile is distinctly diff erent from what has been previously reported for other types of overtrainin g, indicating that high-relative-intensity resistance exercise overtraining may not be successfully monitored via circulating testosterone and cortiso l. Unlike overtraining conditions with endurance athletes, altered resting concentrations of pituitary, adrenal, or gonadal hormones were not evident, and exercise-induced concentrations were only modestly affected.