The Effects of Aerobic and High Intensity Interval Training on Testosterone and Cortisol
by Nick W. Lanpher
Faculty Thesis Advisors: Robert A. Josephs and Jasper A. J. Smits
Physical exercise affects hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis hormones. Aerobic exercise is shown to increase testosterone, while no empirical evidence has been found for high intensity interval training (HIIT). Exercise effects on cortisol are mixed and rely heavily on the interaction between testosterone and cortisol. Differing exercise styles, aerobic and HIIT, change the HPA and HPG axis hormones distinctively. Seventy-five college undergraduate students will be recruited and randomized equally between aerobic and HIIT exercise. I predict lower basal salivary-cortisol (sal-C) and higher basal salivary-testosterone (sal-T) will be linked to a larger testosterone increase after high intensity interval training (HIIT). Moreover, I expect high pre-exercise sal-C and both low or high pre-exercise sal-T to be linked to no increase in testosterone after aerobic or HIIT exercise.