Table 1. Acute physiological effects of CrossFit®
Study N (M/F) Participants WOD Main outcome
Szivak et al. (2013) 9/9 resistance-trained for time: 10-9-8-7…3-2-1
Back squats, bench presses, deadlifts (75% 1 RM)
lactate 14.2/9.1 mmol/L;
elevated cortisol level;
no significant sex differences
Heavens et al. (2014) 9/9 resistance-trained for time: 10-9-8-7…3-2-1
Back squats, bench presses, deadlifts (75% 1 RM)
increased myoglobin - 10.0 nmol/L;
elevated testosterone level; increased interleukin-6 3.5 pg/mL
Fernandez-Fernandez et al. (2015) 10/0 12+ months experience with CrossFit® 1. “Fran”, for time: 21-15-9 of thrusters (42,5kg), pull-ups
2. “Cindy”, 20 minutes AMRAP:
5 pulls-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats
1. HRavg 179 bpm; RPE 8.4;
lactate 14.0 mmol/L
2. HRavg 182.2 bmp; RPE 8;
lactate 14.5 mmol/L
Kliszczewicz et al. (2015) 10/0 3+ month experience with CrossFit® “Cindy”, 20 minutes AMRAP: 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats increased acute blood oxidative stress (comparable with high-intensity running)
Tibana et al. (2016) 9/0 6+ month
experience with CrossFit
2 days/ 2 mixed training sessions;
1. strength, gymnastics, metabolic
conditioning; 10 minutes AMRAP: 30 double-unders, 15 power snatches (34kg)
2. strength, gymnastics, metabolic
conditioning; 12 minutes AMRAP:
250m row, 25 target burpees
1. lactate 11.8 mmol/L; glucose
concentration 115 mg/dL
2. lactate 9.1 mmol/L; glucose
concentration 89.9 mg/dL
after both increased interleukin-6;
increased interleukin-10 after 2.
Perciavalle et al. (2016) 15/0 advanced
CrossFitters
for time: 27-21-15-9 of row (calories), thrusters (43kg) lactate 13.8 mmol/L; worsening of
attentional performance
Drum et al. (2016) 101 CrossFitters questionnaire average RPE 7.3; high muscle soreness; shortness of breath
Maté-Muñoz et al. (2018) 32/0 6+ month
experience with strength training
1. “Cindy”, 20 minutes AMRAP:
5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats
2. 8 rounds: 20 s work : 10 s rest of
double-unders
3. 5 minutes AMRAP: power cleans
(40% 1 RM)
1. HRavg 178 bpm; RPE 17;
lactate 12.2 mmol/L
2. HRavg 178 bpm; RPE 16;
lactate 10.4 mmol/L
3. HRavg 171 bpm; RPE 15.6;
lactate 11.5 mmol/L
Mangine et al. (2018b) 5/5 CrossFitters CrossFit OPEN 2016 (5 weeks, 5 workouts) elevated testosterone level in workouts 2.-5., in 1. unchanged elevated cortisol level after each workout
Kliszczewicz et al. (2018) 10/0 3+ month
experience with CrossFit®
1. “Grace”: 30 clean and jerks (60kg)
2. 15 minutes AMRAP: 250m row, 20 kettlebell swings (16kg), 15 dumbbell thrusters (15kg)
1. HRavg 170 bpm; lactate 14.3 mmol/L
2. HRavg 172 bpm; lactate 13.7 mmol/L
both workouts same effect on autonomic nervous system
Tibana et al. (2018) 23/0 CrossFitters 1. “Fight gone bad”: 3 rounds: 1 minute wall balls, 1 minute sumo deadlift high-pulls (35kg), 1 minute box jumps (60cm), 1 minute push presses (35kg), 1 minute row (for calories), 1 minute rest
2. “Fran”: for time: 21-15-9 of thrusters (42,5kg), pull-ups
1. HRmax 184 bpm; lactate 17.2 mmol/L; RPE 8.5
2. HRmax 182 bpm; lactate 17.8 mmol/L; RPE 9.5
Tibana et al. (2019a) 9/0 6+ month
experience with CrossFit®
3 consecutive competition days,
5 workouts
elevated testosterone level (24 hours after)
cortisol level unchanged
elevated immunoglobulin A-IgA (24-72 hours after)
Timón et al. (2019) 12/0 CrossFitters 1. 5 minutes AMRAP: 1-2-3-4… of burpees and toes to bar
2. 3 rounds: 20 wall balls, 20 power cleans (40% 1 RM)
1. HRavg 127 bpm; lactate 13.3 mmol/L; RPE 7.2
2. HRavg 160 bpm; lactate 18.4 mmol/L; RPE 8.2
creatine kinase and hepatic transaminase at normal level after 48 hours in both workouts
WOD - Workout of the Day; HRavg- average heart rate; HRmax - maximal heart rate; RPE - rated perceived exertion; AMRAP - as many repetitions as possible; RM - repetition maximum