Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning Practice Test 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

When you lift with high intensity, the body quickly beams out several hormones to support energy use and muscle repair. Testosterone and growth hormone rise acutely after resistance work, helping drive anabolic signaling and tissue remodeling. Cortisol also increases in the short term to help mobilize energy substrates, even though it’s often thought of as catabolic over the long run. At the same time, IGF-I levels can rise as part of the GH-IGF axis, and insulin may increase when glucose and amino acids are available, aiding substrate uptake. Catecholamines such as epinephrine and norepinephrine surge to boost energy availability through glycogenolysis and lipolysis (with dopamine playing a smaller, supporting role). These combined hormonal bursts create the acute anabolic environment that supports adaptation to anaerobic training.

Because both groups of hormones can elevate acutely after intense anaerobic work, the option that includes both sets best captures the typical response.