The effects of acute coordinative vs. endurance exercise on the testosterone concentration

Physical exercise interventions are associated with neuroendocrine activation and transient changes in salivary testosterone (T) concentrations. Until now, most studies have focused on endurance exercise, but not on coordinative exercise (CE). The aim of this study is to examine the effects of two different interventions with an intraindividual comparison. We hypothesize that T concentration after an acute CE would be higher as an acute endurance exercise of the same intensity and duration.

61 students between 18 and 30 years of age (M = 21.9, SD = 3.2) first completed a coordinative exercise and 7 days later an endurance exercise of the same intensity and length which was self-set on the first day, with a maximum heart rate of 64%-76% (HR_max) over a period of 15 min. In order to measure changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, saliva samples were collected at baseline (t₁), and then 5 and 30 min after the exercise (t₂ and t₃).

T levels changed significantly over time, F(2,106) = 10.418, p < 0.001, eta ² = 0.164. T levels increased shortly after the exercise (t₂) and decreased again at t₃. There was no difference in T levels regarding the two exercise types, F(2,106) = 0.471, p = 0.496, eta ² = 0.009.

T levels increased in both conditions, shortly after exercise. The coordinative exercise do not result in a different T release compared to a endurance exercise of the same intensity.