Can sprinting help reduce stress hormones?
Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Testosterone and Cortisol Hormone of Blood Serum of Sedentary Male Students
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cortisol decreased significantly despite intense aerobic exercise, which is often thought to raise cortisol.
Longer aerobic workouts are commonly believed to spike cortisol due to physical stress—this study shows short, repeated sprints do the opposite.
Practical Takeaways
Try 4 rounds of 200–400 meter sprints, 4 times a week, with rest in between, for 8 weeks to potentially lower stress hormones.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Cortisol decreased significantly despite intense aerobic exercise, which is often thought to raise cortisol.
Longer aerobic workouts are commonly believed to spike cortisol due to physical stress—this study shows short, repeated sprints do the opposite.
Practical Takeaways
Try 4 rounds of 200–400 meter sprints, 4 times a week, with rest in between, for 8 weeks to potentially lower stress hormones.
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Sport Studies for Health
Year
2019
Authors
M. Sayyah, Z. Vakili, Hasan Ehtram, Fahimeh Sarbandi, Zahra Amooyi
Related Content
Claims (3)
In sedentary young adult males, performing structured sprint intervals for two months lowers cortisol levels in the blood without changing testosterone levels.
In sedentary young men, doing intermittent aerobic exercise for two months is linked to losing weight, and this weight loss may be connected to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, possibly through changes in inflammation related to fat tissue.
When a person engages in aerobic exercise lasting more than 15 minutes, their body shows an increase in cortisol levels, which is a hormone released in response to physical stress.