| dc.description.abstract | The ratio between testosterone and cortisol (TC) has been used to monitor training stress and performance in athletes. PURPOSE: To monitor free testosterone (T), cortisol (C), and the ratio of testosterone to cortisol (TC) in elite NCAA Division I basketball athletes, weekly, throughout an entire season. METHODS: Twenty-two athletes (12 male, 10 female) gave a salivary sample before an afternoon practice in the middle of each week for 30 consecutive weeks, beginning in the pre-season and ending one week after the end of post-season competition. Salivary samples were assayed for T and C. Additionally, a composite value composed of Z-scores (COMP) for weekly practice minutes, game minutes, resistance training repetitions, academic stress, and travel stress was used in an attempt to quantify weekly cumulative stress so that an increase in COMP suggested an increase in cumulative stress. One-way RM ANOVA with LSD pairwise comparisons were used to determine which weekly values were different (α=.05) from the season average. RESULTS: For T, 10 weeks were different from baseline (5.1 nmol/L) for men while 4 weeks were different from baseline (2.2 nmol/L) for women. For C, 11 weeks were different from baseline (9.0 nmol/L) for men while 4 weeks were different from baseline (6.5 nmol/L) for women. For TC, weeks 7 (p=.007), 17 (p=.007), and 25 (p=.005) were different from baseline (TC=0.69) for men while weeks 6 (p=.004), 16 (p=.024), 24 (p=.003), and 27 (p=.008) were significantly different from baseline (TC=0.42) for women. CONCLUSIONS: The large increase in TC at Wk7 (men) suggested that these athletes were recovered from stressful pre-season training and physiologically prepared for the first week of regular season competition. The decrease in TC at Wk17 (men), despite the current win-streak, suggests that the lengthy season was having a physical effect on the student-athletes. Despite a brief 3-game losing streak during Wks20-21, TC was not significantly impacted (men). Finally, following a decrease in TC before post-season competition and a trend towards a decrease in Wk28 (p=.073; 1.5SD below baseline), the athletes were able to return to hormonal baseline one week after the end of the season (men). For women, during Wk6, one week prior to the first exhibition game, TC was below baseline and corresponded with an increase in COMP. However, TC returned to baseline by Wk7, which was the first week of exhibition play. During Wk16, which was collected the week after holiday break, TC was below baseline despite a decrease in COMP. During Week 24, TC was below baseline and corresponded with an increase in COMP. During Wk27, which was collected immediately before the team's first match of the NCAA tournament, TC was below baseline and corresponded with a decrease in COMP. However, the athletes returned to baseline during the tournament and remained at baseline up to and beyond their 4th round elimination. While these athletes experienced significant decreases in TC throughout the season, the overall hormonal profile appeared to remain stable compared to baseline despite constant variation in cumulative student-athlete stress and also suggested that the athletes were able to return to hormonal baseline by the end of the season. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The methods of this study can be used for monitoring fatigue management by assessing how one's athletes adapt to stressful pre-season training and whether or not they recover in time for regular season play, in addition to how the athletes handle the stressors of the competitive season, and is useful for female athletes. | |
