Effect of bench press at a specified movement tempo on post-exercise testosterone and cortisol levels

Abstract

Body response is a key element of the periodization of any training unit. The main control systems in the human body are the nervous and endocrine systems. The study aims to examine the effect of bench press at a specified movement tempo on post-exercise blood testosterone and cortisol levels. The study involved 16 men (experience in resistance training 5.5 ± 1.3 years, aged 24 ± 2 years, body weight 86.1 ± 7.2 kg, and 1RM 125 ± 17 kg). The first stage of the test focused on determining the maximum force based on a single bench press with the highest possible external load (1RM). The second stage included the main test, i.e. bench press. The participants were asked to perform 5 sets successively, with an external load of 70% of an individual 1RM and as many repetitions as possible. The tempo of the exercise was precisely specified. The metronome was used to set a bench press tempo. The movement tempo included time under tension (TUT) 2/0/2/0. TUT means the total time of muscle tension during one repetition. The tests showed significant changes in cortisol levels recorded 30 minutes after exercise, amounting to 13.75 (±4.60) at F=9.16 and p=0.006. and 60 minutes after exercise, amounting to 11.37 (±4.17) at F=19.46 and p=0.0002. No significant statistical values were found for testosterone levels. This study brings additional evidence of the importance of hormonal responses in muscle strength training.