Predictive Value of Salivary Cortisol for Pre-Event Anxiety in Elite University Athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63561/jhssr.v2i3.846Keywords:
Elite University Athletes, Individualized Intervention, HPA Axis, Pre-Event Anxiety, Salivary CortisolAbstract
This study investigated the predictive value of salivary cortisol for pre-event anxiety among elite athletes in three contact sports, to inform effective personalized psychological interventions tailored to sport and gender. Twenty-four elite university athletes (12 female, M = 36.40; 12 male, M = 35.38) participated, comprising 10 footballers (M = 37.64, SD = 4.03), 7 judokas (M = 34.91, SD = 4.17), and 7 boxers (M = 34.23, SD = 5.96). Saliva samples were collected at two time points, eight weeks apart at 9:00 a.m., to control for diurnal cortisol variation, and analyzed using the ELISA protocol. T-tests and ANOVA were used to determine statistical significance at the 0.05 level. Results showed that salivary cortisol level in unit per milliliter (U/ml) significantly predicted pre-event anxiety (t (46) = -12.03, p < .05), with no significant differences between genders (t (21) = 0.59, p > .05) or sports (F (2, 21) = 1.28, p > .05). Although females and football athletes reported slightly higher anxiety levels, the predictive utility of cortisol remained consistent. The study concludes that salivary cortisol is a valid, gender-neutral biomarker for assessing pre-competitive stress. Sport psychologists should be trained to recognize behavioural cues associated with elevated cortisol and HPA axis activation to inform individualized interventions.
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