بهمن صمدی

  It seems that neurofeedback intervention with resistance training have an effect on changes in hormone levels related to body composition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of single and combined resistance training with neurofeedback on serum levels of cortisol, sex hormone binding globulin and body composition indices in young males. Thirty young men were randomly assigned to resistance training (n = 10; mean±SD age, 20/2±2/05; BMI, 24/1±1/12), resistance training + neurofeedback (n = 10; mean±SD age, 20/5±2/21; BMI, 24/3±1/35), and control (n = 10; mean±SD age, 20/3±2/11; BMI, 24/1±1/12) groups. Intervention groups performed resistance training for eight weeks of (3 sessions per week / 60 minutes per session / with a gradual increase in intensity from 20-40% of a maximum repetition at the beginning to 85-90% at the end of sessions) or resistance + neurofeedback (They performed the resistance exercise with 30 minutes of electrical stimulation of the brain, including increasing and amplifying the alpha wave in the T3 region and amplifying the alpha and suppressing theta in the Pz region).In the pre- and post-test stages, levels of cortisol, sex hormone-binding globulin, and body composition indices were measured (p≤0.05). Serum cortisol levels of resistance training (p = 0.001) and resistance training + neurofeedback (p = 0.008) groups were significantly different from the control group. Sex hormone-binding globulin levels of resistance training + neurofeedback were significantly different from the control group (p = 0.001). The ratio of absolute levels of cortisol to sex hormone binding globulin in resistance training and resistance training + neurofeedback groups was significantly different from the control group (p = 0.001). Therefore, decreasing changes in cortisol levels in young men with resistance training + neurofeedback occur more than resistance training. However, sex hormone binding globulin levels increased in both resistance training + neurofeedback and resistance training groups.

Decreased levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) have been reported as anabolic risk factors for  health in young people. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of resistance training and resistance training with neurofeedback on serum levels of testosterone and DHEA-S in young males. 

A total of 30 young males were divided into resistance training (n=10), resistance training and neurofeedback (n=10), and control (n=10) groups. The training groups performed resistance training and neurofeedback training for eight weeks. In both pre- and posttests, the levels of testosterone and DHEA-S were measured. Combined analysis of variance was used to compare the means between groups and paired t-test was used to compare the means within the group.

Compared to control group, serum testosterone levels increased significantly following resistance training and resistance training with neurofeedback in young males (p=0.01). Also, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate levels, compared to resistance training group, had a significantly higher increase in the resistance training with neurofeedback group (p=0.01). Also, serum cortisol levels were significantly reduced (p = 0.001) in the resistance training with neurofeedback group, but its reduction in the resistance training group was not found to be significant (p = 0.31), as
compared with the control group. .

Anabolic and catabolic hormones appear to respond better to electrical stimulation of the brain with resistance training.