ABSTRACT
The purpose of this cross-over study was to investigate of hormonal responses to two programs of exhaustive resistance training with different intensities in male body builders. Participants were 13 men [age 23.8 +/- 5.53 years, height 177.53 +/- 5.69 cm, body weight 76.13 +/- 8.91 kg, waist to hip ratio 0.85 +/- 0.33] who had regular resistance training at least 3 times a week for more than 3 months. Study design was crossover. Subjects participated in three states of control, moderate resistance exercise [with 65% intensity, one repetition maximum] and high resistance exercise [90% intensity, one repetition maximum] modes, in 5 sessions. Blood samples were taken before exercise in fasting state, immediately after and one hour after exercise protocol. The data were analyzed using the analyses of variance method [ANOVA] with repeated measures and multiple analyses variance [MANOVA]. After adjusting the results relative to plasma volume changes, no significant differences were observed between the three groups in hormonal responses of testosterone, cortisol, growth, insulin, epinephrine and norepinephrine at the time points of immediately after and one hour after exercise protocol. It can be concluded that resistance exercise until exhaustion with moderate and high intensity, does not induce significant changes in acute and chronic responses of circulating anabolic and catabolic hormones in male body builders.