ABSTRACT
The endocrine system plays a substantial role in mediating the acute responses to resistance exercise (RE) as well as influencing subsequent baseline resistance training (RT) adaptations. Hormonal signals play a variety of roles in anabolism (tissue growth, substrate restoration, recovery) and catabolism (tissue breakdown, metabolic regulation). The interactions of hormonal signals with the cells’ genetic machinery are complex and the understanding of this area is still in its infancy. Recent discoveries show that multiple pathways relay hormonal signals to affect nuclear targets (48) and thus induce acute and chronic anabolic or catabolic effects on target cells (3, 71). Our evolving understanding of RE-induced hormonal influences must be put into context of an individual’s training state, RE protocols used, and inherent genetic potential for adaptive changes in specific phenotypic characteristics (17, 40, 45, 46) (Figure 21.1). However, hormones do not function within an isolated setting. Rather, a specific hormonal response must be viewed within the context of the entire endocrine system and its relationship with other physiological systems (some of which are depicted in Figure 21.1).
