The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of concurrent strength and endurance training on neuromuscular and hormonal parameters in elderly men. 23 healthy men (65 +/- 4 years) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: concurrent (CG, n = 8), strength (SG, n = 8) or endurance group (EG, n = 7). The programs consisted, of strength training, endurance training on a cycle ergometer or a combination of both in the same session 3 times per week over a duration of 12 weeks. Subjects were evaluated on parameters related to muscle strength, muscle activation and serum hormones. There were significant increases in lower-body strength in all groups (p < 0.05), with higher increases in SG (67%) than CG (41%) and both were higher than EG (25%) (p < 0.01). Only SG and CG increased upper-body strength (p < 0.01), with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Furthermore, there were significant decreases in free testosterone in EG after training. Significant increases in isometric strength and maximal muscle activation (p < 0.05) as well as decreases in the submaximal muscle activation to the same load, were only seen in SG (p < 0.05). The present results suggest that the interference effect observed due to concurrent strength and endurance training could be related to impairment of neural adaptations.

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