Acute Physiological Responses to Strongman Training Compared to Traditional Strength Training

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Strongman training (ST) is increasingly popular, yet its physiological impact remains understudied.
• Limited data exists on the acute physiological responses to ST compared to traditional strength training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the physiological responses of a single ST session with a traditional resistance strength training (RST) session.
• To evaluate key physiological markers including blood lactate, salivary testosterone, heart rate, and energy expenditure.

Main Methods:

• Ten healthy men participated in a crossover study, performing ST, RST, and resting sessions.
• ST involved sled drag, farmer's walk, dumbbell clean and press, and tire flips.
• RST included squat, deadlift, bench press, and power clean at 75% of 1RM.
• Physiological measures were taken immediately before and after sessions, and for 80 minutes post-exercise.

Main Results:

• No significant changes in salivary testosterone were observed for either training session.
• Blood lactate levels significantly increased immediately post-ST and post-RST.
• Both ST and RST elevated heart rate, caloric expenditure, and substrate utilization during and after exercise.
• Heart rate and fat expenditure were significantly elevated during recovery for both protocols compared to rest.

Conclusions:

• Strongman training elicits comparable physiological demands to traditional resistance strength training.
• ST represents an equivalent stimulus for potential training-induced adaptations, including cardiovascular conditioning.
• Further research should explore the long-term adaptive responses to ST.