Research
Hormonal
Resistance exercise specifically increases Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) levels, whereas endurance exercise does not significantly change DHEA in females.
If you are looking to boost DHEA specifically, resistance training (weights) appears to be the more effective modality compared to steady-state cardio. Endurance exercise did not significantly change DHEA levels in this study.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Absolute change in dehydroepiandrosterone was significantly greater in the RS only (p < .05).
Why this rating
Statistically significant finding (p < .05) within a well-controlled study.
Source
Hormonal Responses to Endurance and Resistance Exercise in Females Aged 19-69 Years
Jennifer L. Copeland et al. · The Journals of Gerontology Series A · 2002
DOI 10.1093/gerona/57.4.b158
crossover · n=30Cited 172×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- An acute bout of either endurance or resistance exercise significantly increases circulating levels of anabolic hormones (testosterone, estradiol, growth hormone) in females aged 19-69, regardless of chronological age.Good
- Exercise intensity, rather than age, drives the magnitude of the acute hormonal response (testosterone, growth hormone) to exercise in females.Moderate
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →