CHANGES IN HORMONAL CONCENTRATIONS AFTER DIFFERENT HEAVY-RESISTANCE EXERCISE PROTOCOLS IN WOMEN

Nine eumenorrheic women (age 24.11 +/- 4.28 yr) performed each of six randomly assigned heavy-resistance protocols (HREPs) on separate days during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. The HREPs co nsisted of two series [series 1 (strength, S) and series 2 (hypertroph y, H)] of three protocols, each using identically ordered exercises co ntrolled for load [5 vs. 10 repetitions maximum (RM)], rest period len gth (1 vs. 3 min), and total work (J) within each three-protocol serie s. Blood measures were determined pre-, mid- (after 4 of 8 exercises), and postexercise (0, 5, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 min and 24 and 48 h). In series 1, a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in growth hormone (GH) wa s observed at 90 min postexercise for all three protocols. In series 2 , the 10-RM protocol with 1-min rest periods (H10/1) produced signific ant increases above rest in GH concentrations at 0, 5, and 15 min post exercise, and the H10/1 and H5/1 protocols demonstrated significant re ductions at 90 and 120 min postexercise. Cortisol demonstrated signifi cant increases in response to the S10/3 protocol at 0 min, to the H10/ 1 protocol at midexercise and at 0 and 5 min postexercise, and to the H5/1 protocol at 5 and 15 min postexercise. No significant changes wer e observed in total insulin-like growth factor I, total testosterone, urea, or creatinine for any of the HREPs. Significant elevations in wh ole blood lactate and ammonia along with significant reductions in blo od glucose were observed. Hormonal and metabolic blood variables measu red in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle varied in res ponse to different HREPs. The most dramatic increases above resting co ncentrations were observed with the H10/1 protocol, indicating that th e more glycolytic HREPs may stimulate greater GH and cortisol increase s.