Cortisol level and stress level correlations in national team athletes in some sports

Abstract

Aim: The primary aim of our research endeavor was to comprehensively investigate the various factors that potentially influence stress levels and cortisol production among national team athletes. Our investigation sought to provide meaningful insights into the factors that may impact the psychological and physiological wellbeing of these athletes, ultimately helping to inform the development of targeted interventions to support their mental and physical health. Materials and Methods: A random sampling method was utilized to select 140 athletes from the Mongolian national team, consisting of judo, freestyle wrestlers, and boxers. The sample size was chosen to ensure an adequate representation of both genders.To assess the stress levels of the respondents, a questionnaire comprising 20 questions was developed. The study also utilized the “Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale” (TMAS), a tool developed by Janet Taylor, a renowned scientist from the United States of America, to determine the degree of anxiety among the participants. Cortisol levels were measured using an ELIZA kit after collecting 6 ml of peripheral venous blood from each study subject. The study was analyzed using a case-study research method, and cortisol levels were compared based on age group, gender, educational status, and sports. Stress levels were evaluated using oneand two-sample T-tests and multivariate tests. Results: We included 33 athletes in judo, 15 in boxing, and 27 in freestyle wrestling athletes. 52% of the athletes involved in the study were male and 48% were female, and the average age was 27±8. 64.8% of athletes with I degree stress have normal, 35.2% have abnormal, 85.2% of athletes with II degree stress have normal, 14.8 have abnormal, 50% of athletes with III degree stress have normal and 50% have abnormal cortisol levels. In other words, there is a statistically significant difference between (p=0.01) in the level of cortisol among athletes with second and third degree stress. Conclusion: The study found a statistically significant difference (p=0.01) in the relationship between cortisol level and degree of stress, where cortisol levels increased as the degree of stress increased.