Prior endurance exercise attenuates growth hormone response to subsequent resistance exercise

This study examined the influence of prior endurance exercise on hormonal responses to subsequent resistance exercise. Ten males exercised on a cycle ergometer at 50% of maximal oxygen uptake for 60 min and subsequently completed a resistance exercise (bench and leg press, four sets at ten repetitions maximum with an interset rest period of 90 s). Alternatively, the subjects performed the protocol on a separate day with prior endurance exercise limited to 5 min. Blood was obtained before and after the endurance exercise, and 10, 20, and 30 min after the resistance exercise. Maximal isometric torque measured before and after endurance and resistance exercises showed no significant difference between trials. No significant difference was seen in the concentrations of glucose, lactate, testosterone, and cortisol between the trials, but free fatty acids (FFA) and growth hormone (GH) increased (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) after 60 min of endurance exercise. Conversely, after the resistance exercise, GH was attenuated by 60 min of prior exercise (P<0.05). These results indicate that the GH response to resistance exercise is attenuated by prior endurance exercise. This effect might be caused by the increase in blood FFA concentration at the beginning of resistance exercise.