Long Rest Interval Promotes Durable Testosterone Responses in High-Intensity Bench Press

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Endocrinology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Acute hormonal responses are critical for resistance training adaptations.
• Rest interval duration is a key variable influencing exercise-induced endocrine changes.
• Understanding these responses can optimize training protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of 1-minute versus 3-minute rest periods on acute hormone levels during bench press exercise.
• To analyze the effects on total testosterone, free testosterone, cortisol, and growth hormone.
• To determine the optimal rest duration for maximizing anabolic hormone responses.

Main Methods:

• Ten resistance-trained men completed two bench press workouts with either 1- or 3-minute inter-set rest.
• Workouts involved 5 sets of 3 repetitions at 85% of 1RM.
• Hormone concentrations (total testosterone, free testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone) were measured pre- and post-exercise.

Main Results:

• Both rest durations increased total testosterone and free testosterone post-exercise compared to pre-exercise.
• A 3-minute rest period resulted in a more prolonged elevation of total and free testosterone.
• Cortisol and growth hormone levels did not significantly change with either rest duration.

Conclusions:

• Both 1-minute and 3-minute rest periods enhance acute testosterone responses to resistance exercise.
• Longer rest intervals (3 minutes) appear more effective for achieving sustained elevations in testosterone.
• Rest period manipulation is a viable strategy to modulate acute hormonal milieu in resistance training.