The kettlebell swing is an exercise normally used in high repetitions to speed up the heart rate and burn calories . Anyone who has ever done the swing knows how intense this exercise is for the overall body. The swing has been subjected to all kinds of studies by the scientific community for its proven effects on the human body.
In a recent study (1), 10 men participated in a physical test in which they performed 12 rounds of 30 seconds of swings with a 24 kg kettlebell, followed by 30 seconds of rest. His blood was analyzed as soon as the test was finished, 15 minutes after it and finally 30 minutes after it was finished. Heart rate and perceived exertion scale were noted as well.
We must take into account a priori that this is not a comparative study. The comparison with respect to hormonal changes against other exercises such as the squat or deadlift or any other that exercises similar muscles is not being measured. It is not the purpose of this study to determine if the swing is superior to the aforementioned exercises, but to find out if the swing is a valid exercise to add to our routines and programs.
Hormonal responses
1. Increase in testosterone
Right after finishing the swings, testosterone levels rose 14% on average among the participants. While this figure is quite significant, it is not particularly high, but considering that the protocol for this exercise was more of a cardiovascular nature than it was for work with heavy weights, we can say that the results are undoubtedly positive. As a result, testosterone levels returned to pre-exercise levels after 15 minutes of rest and dropped a little further after 30 minutes of rest.
2. Response on cortisol
Cortisol was also elevated , as is typical of his response after intense exercise. Although many athletes seek to minimize this catabolic hormone, it is really very common for this hormone to register its maximums after intense exercise, since it always acts in response to any factor determined by stress. In fact it rose 45% more due to the swings. I take the 30 minute break that the cortisol levels returned to their previous records before starting the test.
3. Increased growth hormone
Growth hormone, highly related to fat burning, was also elevated in response to swings, this being also a normal response to physical exercise. The answer was an elevation of 18 points above his measurements at rest after finishing the protocol, something that should not surprise us either, since resting levels of growth hormone are normally low. 15 minutes later, the levels rose 21 points above their resting levels, eventually dropping to 16 points after 30 minutes.
4. Answer on lactate
The resulting lactate levels were balanced with those of cortisol. Considering that lactate levels are one of the stressors that cortisol responds to, this correlation makes perfect sense. Lactate levels rose 6 times above normal levels as soon as the exercise ended, followed by a continuous decline in levels until reaching normal ranges after 30 minutes.
5. Increased heart rate and perceived exertion scale
The heart rate and the scale of perceived exertion were progressively increasing in each series, which indicates that the members of the test would have finished exhausted from having incorporated more sets to it. The mean beats per minute in terms of heart rate prior to the test was 57 per minute, which is quite low. At the end of the test, the participants had an average of 170 beats per minute , a fairly high rate.
Conclution
Kettlebell swings have proven their effectiveness as an exercise supported by countless studies like the one we have previously mentioned. They manage to optimize an appropriate hormonal response in those hormones that intervene in response to intense exercise. In addition, they represent excellent cardiovascular work and if we add a weight that is challenging, we will also work on strength and explosiveness .
Adjust the times and weights to progress in your swing and feel free to add this extraordinary exercise to your regular training routines.
References
- Ronald Budnar, et. al., “The acute hormonal response to the kettlebell swing exercise,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research , DOI: 10.1519 / JSC.0000000000000474
