SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS IN ELITE MALE HANDBALL PLAYERS DURING A MATCH

Year 2017, Volume: 34 Issue: 3, 185 - 189, 10.07.2018

Yıldırım Kayacan Tuba Tapan Yücel Makaracı Cihad Uçar Sedat Uçar

Abstract

Cortisol
is a corticosteroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex and it is associated
with the stress response of the body. It is an important marker for determining
the level of stress during or after exercise. The purpose of this study was to
examine a sports team for the level of physiological and psychological stress
generated by a handball competition via non-invasive saliva analysis. Fourteen
athletes aged 20.7 ± 2.5 years who were members of the Ondokuz Mayıs University
male handball team participated in the study. A total of three saliva samples
were taken, one before, one during half-time and one immediately after an
important match for the team in terms of the group standpoint. and were
analyzed by ELISA. Data were analysed by repeated measures test and Mauchly's
test of sphericity; also p<0.05 denoted statistical  significance. As a result of the analysis,
salivary cortisol levels were found to be significant in the three different
samples taken from the athletes (p = 0.018) At the onset of the competition,
cortisol levels were also seen to increase in parallel with the rise in the
stress levels of the athletes. The highest cortisol levels of the athletes were
found in the samples taken between halves during the match. It was found that
submaximal exercise used in the team sport of handball had a significant effect
on salivary cortisol levels. In samples taken during an event with a high level
of importance for the team, significantly variable levels of cortisol as a
stress hormone were expressed in the athletes. Therefore, saliva cortisol
measurement appears to be an important parameter that can be used to develop
stress-management and other necessary strategies in sport branches such as
handball where the mental and physical stress is intense.

Keywords

Handball, hormone, salivary cortisol, stress

References

• Soria, M., González-Haro, C., Ansón, M., López-Colón, J.L., Escanero, J.F., 2015. Plasma levels of trace elements and exercise induced stress hormones in well-trained athletes. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 31, 113-119.