Investigation of the Relationship Between Salivary Cortisol, Training Load, and Subjective Markers of Recovery in Elite Rugby Union Players

Abstract

Purpose: Insufficient recovery can lead to a decrease in performance and increase the risk of injury and illness. The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary cortisol as a marker of recovery in elite rugby union players. Method: Over a 10-wk preseason training period, 19 male elite rugby union players provided saliva swabs biweekly (Monday and Friday mornings). Subjective markers of recovery were collected every morning of each training day. Session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) was taken after every training session, and training load was calculated (sRPE × session duration). Results: Multilevel analysis found no significant association between salivary cortisol and training load or subjective markers of recovery (all P > .05) over the training period. Compared with baseline (wk 1), Monday salivary cortisol significantly increased in wk 4 (14.94 [7.73] ng/mL; P = .04), wk 8 (16.39 [9.53] ng/mL; P = .01), and wk 9 (15.41 [9.82] ng/mL; P = .02), and Friday salivary cortisol significantly increased in wk 5 (14.81 [8.74] ng/mL; P = .04) and wk 10 (15.36 [11.30] ng/mL; P = .03). Conclusions: The significant increase in salivary cortisol on certain Mondays may indicate that players did not physically recover from the previous week of training or match at the weekend. The increased Friday cortisol levels and subjective marker of perceived fatigue indicated increased physiological stress from that week’s training. Regular monitoring of salivary cortisol combined with appropriate planning of training load may allow sufficient recovery to optimize training performance.

Modification of Diurnal Cortisol Secretion in Women’s Professional Basketball. A Pilot Study

“…When performing this assessment in our study with elite female basketball players, elevated cortisol levels could be observed as early as Monday, which may indicate that players did not physically recover from training or from a match from the previous weekend, since the physiological stress on the players can take up to 48 h to reduce to initial levels after a match [31,32], which coincides with the results of a recent study [26]. In addition, there was a progressive increase in cortisol levels throughout the week until Friday that could indicate an increase in physiological stress from training that week, which could add up over the course of a season that begins in September and finishes in July.…”

“…Regular monitoring of salivary cortisol combined with adequate planning for training load can allow for sufficient recovery to optimize sports performance [26], recovery after exercise, and the minimizing of injuries [27]. In this sense, and also to increase the Figure 2A,B shows the dispersion of cortisol levels in each group and on each of the analyzed days.…”

“…Regular monitoring of salivary cortisol combined with adequate planning for training load can allow for sufficient recovery to optimize sports performance [26], recovery after exercise, and the minimizing of injuries [27]. In this sense, and also to increase the efficiency, training loads consisting of increases in frequency, duration, and intensity, are habitually used in highly competitive teams as a follow-up marker to optimize training [28,29].…”

Changes in different salivary biomarkers related to physiologic stress in elite handball players: the case of females

“…It thus becomes necessary to monitor the concentrations and variations of stress biomarkers after competition, allowing one to establish the demands for subsequent recovery; avoiding even greater competitive stress, overtraining, fatigue, sports injuries, related diseases, and exhaustion 32,33 . Controlling all these factors has been related to an improvement in performance 34 .…”

How training loads in the preparation and competitive period affect the biochemical indicators of training stress in youth soccer players?

“…Research indicates that sRPE might be a better suited and more essential method to monitor training youths in a sport like soccer (as opposed to monitoring training adults) ( Capranica & Millard-Stafford, 2011 ). Some studies also highlighted relationships between sRPE and biochemical markers of muscle damage and chronic stress, such as creatine kinase activity and cortisol concentration ( Moreira et al, 2013 ; Caetano Júnior, Castilho & Raniero, 2017 ; Tiernan et al, 2020 ).…”