Postexercise hypertrophic adaptations: A reexamination of the hormone hypothesis and its applicability to resistance training program design
Abstract
It has been well documented in the literature that resistance training can promote marked increases in skeletal muscle mass. Postexercise hypertrophic adaptations are mediated by a complex enzymatic cascade whereby mechanical tension is molecularly transduced into anabolic and catabolic signals that ultimately lead to a compensatory response, shifting muscle protein balance to favor synthesis over degradation. Myocellular signaling is influenced, in part, by the endocrine system. Various hormones have been shown to alter the dynamic balance between anabolic and catabolic stimuli in muscle, helping to mediate an increase or decrease in muscle protein accretion. Resistance training can have an acute impact on the postexercise secretion of several of these hormones including insulin-like growth factor, testosterone, and growth hormone (GH). Studies show that hormonal spikes are magnified after hypertrophy-type exercise that involves training at moderate intensities with shortened rest intervals as compared with high-intensity strength-oriented training. The observed positive relationship between anabolic hormones and hypertrophy-type training has led to the hormone hypothesis, which postulates that acute postexercise hormonal secretions mediate increases in muscle size. Several researchers have suggested that these transient hormonal elevations may be more critical to hypertrophic adaptations than chronic changes in resting hormonal concentrations. Theoretically, high levels of…
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The relevance of transient exercise-induced systemic hormonal spikes on muscular adaptations remains dubious.
“However, the relevance of transient exercise-induced systemic hormonal spikes on muscular adaptations remains dubious [36], thus calling into question the basis of this rationale.”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [36]
Research-based support for the hypertrophy zone comes largely from acute studies showing greater post-exercise elevations in anabolic hormones when training in a moderate repetition range.
“Research-based support for the “hypertrophy zone” comes largely from acute studies showing greater post-exercise elevations in anabolic hormones when training in a moderate repetition range [36].”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [36]
Cites
Hormonal Responses and Adaptations to Resistance Exercise and Training
Kraemer, W. J., & Ratamess, N. A. (2005) · Sports Medicine · doi:10.2165/00007256-200535040-00004 · Cited by 1,389 · cited 3× · see citing works
“(39,62,77) It should be noted that factors such as gender, age, and training status profoundly influence testosterone release (40), and these factors may account for discrepancies between studies.”
BackgroundThe mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training
Schoenfeld, B. J. (2010) · Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181e840f3 · Cited by 1,214 · see citing works
Self-citationEffective fiber hypertrophy in satellite cell-depleted skeletal muscle
McCarthy, J. J., Mula, J., Miyazaki, M., Erfani, R., Garrison, K., Farooqui, A. B., Srikuea, R., Lawson, B. A., Grimes, B., Keller, C., et al. (2011) · Development · doi:10.1242/dev.068858 · Cited by 616 · see citing works
Bhasin, S., Woodhouse, L., Casaburi, R., Singh, A. B., Mac, R. P., Lee, M., Yarasheski, K. E., Sinha-Hikim, I., Dzekov, C., Dzekov, J., et al. (2005) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jc.2004-1184 · Cited by 544 · see citing works
New fundamental resistance exercise determinants of molecular and cellular muscle adaptations
Toigo, M., & Boutellier, U. (2006) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/s00421-006-0238-1 · Cited by 437 · see citing works
Petrella, J. K., Kim, J.-S., Mayhew, D. L., Cross, J. M., & Bamman, M. M. (2008) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01215.2007 · Cited by 435 · cited 2× · see citing works
“This is consistent with studies showing that the hypertrophic response to resistance training displays tremendous variance between individuals (7,58).”
BackgroundResultPetrella, J. K., Kim, J.-S., Cross, J. M., Kosek, D. J., & Bamman, M. M. (2006) · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00190.2006 · Cited by 356 · see citing works
Sinha-Hikim, I., Cornford, M., Gaytan, H., Lee, M. L., & Bhasin, S. (2006) · The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism · doi:10.1210/jc.2006-0357 · Cited by 318 · see citing works
West, D. W. D., Burd, N. A., Tang, J. E., Moore, D. R., Staples, A. W., Holwerda, A. M., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2010) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01147.2009 · Cited by 290 · cited 6× · see citing works
“Studies have demonstrated that increases in muscle hypertrophy can occur in the relative absence of postexercise hormonal increases (92,96).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialWest, D. W. D., Kujbida, G. W., Moore, D. R., Atherton, P., Burd, N. A., Padzik, J. P., De Lisio, M., Tang, J. E., Parise, G., Rennie, M. J., et al. (2009) · The Journal of Physiology · doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2009.177220 · Cited by 289 · see citing works
(2000) · The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences · doi:10.1093/gerona/55.2.b95 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
Acute and chronic hormonal responses to resistance training designed to promote muscle hypertrophy
Mccall, G. E., Byrnes, W. C., Fleck, S. J., Dickinson, A., & Kraemer, W. J. (1999) · Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1139/h99-009 · Cited by 249 · cited 2× · see citing works
“(50) studied the hypertrophic response of 11 college-aged men with recreational resistance training experience to 12 weeks of high-volume resistance training.”
BackgroundBamman, M. M., Petrella, J. K., Kim, J.-S., Mayhew, D. L., & Cross, J. M. (2007) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00024.2007 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Hansen, S., Kvorning, T., Kjær, M., & Sjøgaard, G. (2001) · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports · doi:10.1034/j.1600-0838.2001.110606.x · Cited by 203 · cited 3× · see citing works
“(30) 16 9* Significant increases in muscle strength as a result of acute hormonal elevations Madarame et al.”
BackgroundMethodKvorning, T., Andersen, M., Brixen, K., & Madsen, K. (2006) · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00143.2006 · Cited by 176 · cited 1× · see citing works
“(41) demonstrated that suppressing testosterone production via administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (goserelin) significantly blunted hypertrophic adaptations in young men after an 8-week Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research the TM”
Background
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Fragala, M. S., Cadore, E. L., Dorgo, S., Izquierdo, M., Kraemer, W. J., Peterson, M. D., & Ryan, E. D. (2019) · Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000003230 · Cited by 1,290 · see citing works
Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D. W., & Plotkin, D. L. (2021) · Sports · doi:10.3390/sports9020032 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
Self-citationRoberts, M. D., McCarthy, J. J., Hornberger, T. A., Phillips, S. M., Mackey, A. L., Nader, G. A., Boppart, M. D., Kavazis, A. N., Reidy, P. T., Ogasawara, R., et al. (2023) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00039.2022 · Cited by 214 · see citing works
Mobley, C. B., Haun, C. T., Roberson, P. A., Mumford, P. W., Kephart, W. C., Romero, M. A., Osburn, S. C., Vann, C. G., Young, K. C., Beck, D. T., et al. (2018) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0195203 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Jiang, Q., Lou, K., Hou, L., Lu, Y., Sun, L., Tan, S. C., Low, T. Y., Kord-Varkaneh, H., & Pang, S. (2020) · Complementary Therapies in Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102360 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
- Authors
- Schoenfeld, B. J.
- Affiliations
- Lehman College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Schoenfeld, Brad J.
- ORCID
- Schoenfeld, Brad J.
- Venue
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
- Published
- 2013-06
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1720-1730
- ISSN
- 1064-8011 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2083668808
- Cited by
- 74
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 0.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Keywords
- muscle hypertrophy, resistance training, insulin-like growth factor, testosterone, growth hormone, muscle protein synthesis, muscle protein degradation, supercompensation, mechanical tension, rest periods, exercise intensity
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Humans, Hypertrophy, Insulin-Like Growth Factor I, Testosterone, Signal Transduction, Exercise, Muscle, Skeletal, Human Growth Hormone, Resistance Training
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
