Plasma and salivary steroid hormone responses of men to high-intensity cycling and resistance exercise.

Hormonal responses to exercise could be used as a marker of overreaching. A short exercise protocol that induces robust hormonal elevations in a normal trained state should be able to highlight hormonal changes during overreaching. This study compared plasma and salivary cortisol and testosterone responses to 4 exercise trials; these were (a) continuous cycle to fatigue at 75% peak power output (Wmax) (FAT); (b) 30-minute cycle alternating 1-minute 60% and 1 minute 90% Wmax (60/90); (c) 30-minute cycle alternating 1-minute 55% and 4-minute 80% Wmax (55/80); and (d) Squatting 8 sets of 10 repetitions at 10 repetition maximum (RESIST).