title: Influence of upper-body exercise order on hormonal responses in trained men.
abstract: The aim of this study was to examine acute hormonal responses after different sequences of an upper-body resistance-exercise session. Twenty men completed 2 sessions (3 sets; 70% 1-repetition maximum; 2 min passive rest between sets) of the same exercises in opposite sequences (larger to smaller vs. smaller to larger muscle-group exercises). Total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), testosterone/cortisol (T/C) ratio, sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), growth hormone (GH), and cortisol (C) concentrations were measured before and immediately after each sequence. The results indicate that the GH concentration increased after both sessions, but the increase was significantly greater (p < 0.05) after the sequence in which larger muscle-group exercises were performed prior to the smaller muscle-group exercises. No differences were observed between sessions for TT, FT, SHBG, C, or the T/C ratio at baseline or immediately after resistance exercise. These results indicate that performing larger muscle-group exercises first in an upper-body resistance-exercise session leads to a significantly greater GH response. This may have been due to the significantly greater exercise volume accomplished. In summary, the findings of this investigation support the common prescriptive recommendation to perform larger-muscle group exercises first during a resistance-exercise session.
authors: School of Physical Education and Sports, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. robertosimao@ufrj.br
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Simão
authors: Richard Diego
authors: RD
authors: Leite
authors: Guilherme Fleury Fina
authors: GF
authors: Speretta
authors: Alex Souto
authors: AS
authors: Maior
authors: Belmiro Freitas
authors: BF
authors: de Salles
authors: Tácito Pessoa
authors: TP
authors: de Souza Junior
authors: Jakob L
authors: JL
authors: Vingren
authors: Jeffrey M
authors: JM
authors: Willardson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D013006:Growth Hormone