The Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Testosterone, Growth Hormone, and Cortisol in Athletes: A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18071751Keywords:
Cortisol, Growth Hormone, High Intensity Interval Training, TestosteroneAbstract
High-intensity interval training, which has been used for more than a century to improve athletic performance, is an exercise method consisting of short bursts of high activity followed by low-intensity activities for recovery or rest. The endocrine system plays a key role in physiological adaptations in exercise by regulating anabolic and catabolic processes. The aim of this review is to compile existing information and contribute to the literature by examining in detail the changes that occur in testosterone, growth hormone and cortisol, hormones that play an important role in body metabolism, following high-intensity interval training in athletes. Different mechanisms play a role in post-exercise hormone level changes. The literature search was conducted in Turkish and English, using the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with the keywords ‘high-intensity interval training’, ‘testosterone’, ‘growth hormone’, ‘cortisol’. The type, duration and intensity of exercise affect the performance of the athlete and the endocrine response. The level of testosterone, a metabolic-androgenic steroid hormone, increases after high-intensity interval training. The stress that arises because of exercise following high-intensity interval training plays a decisive role in cortisol levels. It is widely believed that growth hormone increases in athletes after high-intensity interval training. However, stress, fatigue, lack of sleep, and intense and prolonged exercise can also cause a decrease in growth hormone levels. All exercises result in physiological changes. These physiological changes in athletes must be considered when planning exercises correctly for maximum performance.
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