Elsevier

Annales d'Endocrinologie

Volume 74, Issue 1, February 2013, Pages 30-35
Annales d'Endocrinologie

Original article
Age-related hormonal adaptations, muscle circumference and strength development with 8 weeks moderate intensity resistance trainingSécrétions hormonales, circonférence musculaire et force musculaire : adaptations en rapport avec l’âge après huit semaines de musculation modérée

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ando.2012.11.004Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives

To examine the response of the endocrine system, strength development and muscle circumference to moderate-resistance training in younger and middle-aged men.

Material and methods

Two groups of men of similar activity background, but differing in age (Y: 21.2 ± 2.2 years and M: 49.7 ± 2.1 years) participated in an 8-week moderate-resistance training program. Blood sampling was obtained at rest before and after training for analysis of serum testosterone, growth hormone, cortisol and ACTH concentrations. One repetition maximum for the bench press (1RMBP) and squat (1RMS); thigh (TC) and arm circumference (AC) were also measured. Both groups underwent a 1-h standardized moderate-resistance training session (three series of 8 to 15 RM; nine exercises with 1–3 min rest between sets) three times a week for 8 weeks.

Results

Both the Y and M groups gained significant improvements in 1RMBP, 1RMS, TC and AC (P < 0.05). Growth hormone and testosterone concentration increased for both groups, while Y men increased greater than M men in resting posttraining testosterone concentration. With training the Y and M men demonstrated significant decreases in ACTH and cortisol concentrations.

Conclusion

These data indicate moderate-resistance training would lead to gains in maximal strength, muscle circumference and increases anabolic hormone secretion for M men and consequently promoting of health, improve daily life and delay negative effects with aging.

Résumé

Objectifs

Mesurer la réponse du système endocrinien, la force musculaire et la circonférence musculaire chez des hommes jeunes et d’âge moyen avant et après un programme de musculation modérée.

Méthodes

Un programme de huit semaines de musculation modérée était proposé à deux groupes d’hommes semblables en ce qui concerne leurs niveaux d’activité mais différent par leurs âges : (groupe Y : 21,2 ± 2,2 ans ; groupe M : 49,7 ± 2,1 ans). Chez tous les participants, les taux plasmatiques de la testostérone, de l’hormone de croissance, du cortisol et de l’ACTH étaient mesurés au repos, avant et après le programme de musculation modérée. Ont été mesurées : la force maximale à une répétition du développé couché (1 RMBP) et du squat test (1 RMS) ; la circonférence mi-cuisse (TC) ; la circonférence brachiale (AC). Le programme de musculation était identique pour les deux groupes : séances d’une heure trois fois par semaine pendant huit semaines (trois séries de huit à 15 répétitions à force maximale ; neuf exercices séparés d’une période de repos d’une à trois minutes).

Résultats

Dans les deux groupes, les résultats montraient une amélioration significative des différentes mesures : 1 RMBP, 1 RMS, TC et AC (p < 0,05). Les taux plasmatiques de la testostérone et de l’hormone de croissance augmentaient dans les deux groupes. Après le programme de musculation, on notait une augmentation plus importante de la testostérone dans le groupe M que dans le groupe Y et une diminution significative de l’ACTH et du cortisol dans les deux groupes.

Conclusion

Ces résultats suggèrent qu’un programme de musculation modérée pourrait augmenter la force musculaire maximale, la circonférence musculaire et la sécrétion d’hormones anaboliques chez les hommes d’âge moyen et par conséquence améliorer leur santé et vie quotidienne et retarder les effets du vieillissement.

Introduction

Aging in associated with decline in the capacity of the neuroendocrine function and neuromuscular system, resulting in decreases in maximal strength, muscle power and muscle mass (sarcopenia) [1], [2]. With aging, serum concentrations of anabolic hormones and growth factors decline along with reductions in anabolic hormone concentrations, which are through to relate to documented decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength [2], [3]. Also, with aging serum concentrations of catabolic hormones increased [1], [2], [4]. Loss of skeletal muscle mass or muscle strength due to aging, start in middle-age and gradually accelerate thereafter [5], [6]. Resistance training increases muscle power, strength and mass through several mechanisms, for example increasing voluntary activation of trained muscles and inducing changes in the muscle cross-sectional area and subtypes of muscle fibers, even when resistance training began in older age [7], [8]. Moreover, resistance training can induce increases in anabolic hormones in women, younger and older men [2], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. Therefore, with resistance training, it is possible to prevent or delay the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and decreases in muscle strength and power in middle-aged and older individuals [5], [10].

There were a large number of studies that examined the effects of resistance training in young, middle-aged, and older men, and compared younger vs. older or middle-aged vs. older men [2], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9]. For example, Kraemer et al. [2] found younger men to possess more favorable hormonal profiles for cortisol and testosterone after a 10-week of heavy-resistance training at rest compared with older men. They also no found any significant changes in plasma ACTH and serum GH in both younger and older men. Izquierdo et al. [1] found that middle-aged and older men increased maximal strength following 16 weeks of heavy-resistance training. Older men made decreases in cortisol concentration after 16 weeks of resistance training, while middle-age men showed no significant changes in cortisol and testosterone concentrations.

Previous studies examined heavy or high-intensity resistance training on hormonal concentrations in younger, middle-aged and older men [1], [2], [4]. However, heavy-resistance exercise can be perform in younger men and has been shown to be a potent stimulus for increases in circulating hormones, this intensity maybe induced risk or injury for middle-aged or older men [1], [4], [11]. Moreover, moderate intensity resistance training can be prevalent in middle-aged men. With this goal, this study was designed to examine the effects of moderate intensity resistance training on hormonal responses in middle-aged men and compared with younger men. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 8 weeks moderate intensity resistance training on maximal strength, arm and thigh circumferences, anabolic and catabolic hormones in middle-aged and younger men. We hypothesized that moderate intensity resistance training can improve strength and muscle circumference, with elevating in anabolic hormones and decreasing in catabolic hormones in middle-aged and younger men. Also, these responses or changes are greater for younger man compared to middle-aged men.

Section snippets

Subjects

Ten younger (Y: age; 21.2 ± 2.2 years, weight; 71.9 ± 6.4 kg, height; 177.2 ± 3.3 cm, and percent body fat; 14.6 ± 4) and eight middle-aged healthy men (M: age; 49.7 ± 2.1 years, weight; 80.2 ± 6.0 kg, height; 174.8 ± 3.2 cm, and percent body fat; 19.8 ± 3; [mean ± SD]) volunteered in this study. Subjects were informed as to the experimental procedures and signed informed consent statements and medical history forms in adherence with the human subjects’ guidelines of the University Health Sciences Center before any

Results

Both the Y and M groups showed statistically significant improvement in thigh (TC) and arm circumferences (AC) after 8 weeks of training (TC; Y, from 54.6 ± 5.3 to 57 ± 4.3 cm [4.5%]; M, from 54.2 ± 5.5 to 56.3 ± 5.1 cm [4%], AC; Y, from 30.1 ± 3.6 to 31.9 ± 3.7 cm [6%]; M, from 30.9 ± 3 to 32.4 ± 3 cm [5%], P  0.05). However, the level of increases were greater for the Y, no significant differences were observed between the Y and M groups in the TC and AC (P > 0.05). The 1RMBP and 1RMS strength increased for the Y

Discussion

Decreases in anabolic hormonal concentrations (e.g., testosterone and GH) and increases in catabolic hormonal concentrations (e.g., cortisol and ACTH) with age can influence the reduction in muscle size and strength observed with aging [1]. Restoring an endocrine gland's function with exercise training remains an attractive hypothesis, which could help ameliorate the age-related declines in muscle tissue mass and strength. In this study we examined strength, muscle circumference and hormonal

Disclosure of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the volunteers involved in this study. We also thank our laboratory team for technical assistance with the immunoassay procedures. This work was supported by the research grant from the University of Guilan.

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