Hormonal
Acute postexercise elevations in systemic anabolic hormones (testosterone, growth hormone, IGF-1) are neither necessary nor sufficient to stimulate muscle protein synthesis or drive resistance exercise training-induced hypertrophy.
Stop worrying about the exact time of day you train or trying to manipulate your hormones for better gains. Whether you train in the morning or evening, or whether your hormones fluctuate during your menstrual cycle, does not significantly change your ability to build muscle. Focus on consistent, progressive resistance training rather than trying to 'optimize' your hormonal environment.
Acute increases in anabolic hormones neither enhance muscle protein synthesis nor contribute to muscle hypertrophy with RET. Importantly, acute rises in anabolic hormones and muscle anabolic signaling are also unrelated to longer-term RET-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophic adaptations.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple controlled human studies (unilateral training, sex comparisons) showing hypertrophy occurs without hormonal changes.
Source
Hormones, Hypertrophy, and Hype: An Evidence-Guided Primer on Endogenous Endocrine Influences on Exercise-Induced Muscle Hypertrophy
Derrick W. Van Every et al. · Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews · 2024
DOI 10.1249/jes.0000000000000346
More from this paper
- Females achieve similar relative increases in muscle mass and strength compared to males following resistance exercise training, despite having significantly lower systemic testosterone concentrations.Strong
- There is no evidence supporting the practice of periodizing resistance exercise training for females according to specific phases of the menstrual cycle to promote greater hypertrophic adaptations.Good
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