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. 2020 Sep 30;17(19):7172.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197172.

Acute and Chronic Catabolic Responses to CrossFit® and Resistance Training in Young Males

Emanuela Faelli  1   2 , Ambra Bisio  1   2 , Roberto Codella  3   4 , Vittoria Ferrando  1   5 , Luisa Perasso  1   2 , Marco Panascì  2   5 , Daniele Saverino  1 , Piero Ruggeri  1   2
Affiliations

Acute and Chronic Catabolic Responses to CrossFit® and Resistance Training in Young Males

Emanuela Faelli et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Given the wide variety of conditioning program trainings employed, the present study compared the catabolic effects induced by CrossFit® and resistance training in moderately trained subjects. Twenty males joined either the CrossFit® group (n = 10; 30 min/day of "workout of the day") or the resistance training (RT) group (n = 10; 30 min/day of resistance exercises) thrice a week, for 8 weeks. Salivary levels of cortisol, interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), and uric acid were assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays before (PRE) and 30-min after (POST) SESSION 1 and SESSION 24. Variables' percentual changes were computed as (POST-PRE)/PRE*100 in each session (Δ%). CrossFit® acutely increased cortisol levels in both sessions, with a significant decrease in Δ%cortisol from SESSION 1 to 24. In the RT group, cortisol values decreased in both sessions, only acutely. A significant decrease in IL-1β levels was registered acutely in both groups, in both sessions, whereas Δ%IL-1β was not different between the two groups. While uric acid levels increased in both groups acutely, a chronic downregulation of Δ%uric acid, from SESSION 1 to 24, was appreciated for the RT group only. Overall, CrossFit® appeared to induce more intense effects than the RT program as to the investigated catabolic responses.

Keywords: CrossFit; catabolic responses; cortisol; interleukin 1-beta; uric acid.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Experimental design. Before (Week 0, baseline measures) and after (Week 9, ending measures) the intervention period, participants underwent to the maximum repetition test (1RM test). Both CrossFit® and resistance training (RT) lasted 8 weeks (3 times/week). Before (PRE) and 30 min after (POST) the end of the first and the last training sessions (SESSION 1 and SESSION 24, respectively), cortisol, IL-1 beta, and uric acid levels were measured.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cortisol value and Δ%cortisol. Cortisol values (panel (A)) of CrossFit® group (left) and RT group (right), before (PRE) and after (POST) the first training session (PRE 1, POST 1) and the last training session (PRE 24, POST 24). Δ%Cortisol (panel (B)) of CrossFit® group (left) and RT group (right) after the first training session (SESSION 1) and the last training session (SESSION 24). Data are presented as means ± standard error. ** p < 0.01; ***p < 0.0001.
Figure 3
Figure 3
IL-1β values and ∆%IL-1β. IL-1β values (panel (A)) of CrossFit® group (left) and RT group (right), measured before (PRE) and after (POST) the first training session (PRE 1, POST 1) and the last training session (PRE 24, POST 24). ∆%IL-1β (panel (B)) of CrossFit® group (left) and RT group (right) after the first training session (SESSION 1) and the last training session (SESSION 24). Data are presented as means ± standard error. ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Uric acid values and ∆%uric acid. Uric acid values (panel (A)) of CrossFit® group (left) and RT group (right) before (PRE) and after (POST) the first training session (PRE 1, POST 1) and the last training session (PRE 24, POST 24). ∆%Uric acid (panel (B)) of CrossFit® group (left) and RT group (right) after the first training session (SESSION 1) and the last training session (SESSION 24). Data are presented as means ± standard error. * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01.
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