Salivary Alpha-Amylase and Cortisol Changes in Response to Basketball Training in Men and Women

Abstract Introduction. This study aimed to determine changes in the level of alpha-amylase and cortisol in the saliva of male and female basketball players after one session of basketball training. Additionally, the study examined whether differences existed between females and males in the levels of these biomarkers in response to physical exertion. Material and Methods. The study involved 30 athletes from academic leagues (17 females and 13 males). The training session consisted of warm-up, conditioning, and tactical drills and lasted for 90 minutes. A sample of saliva was obtained before and after the training session. Salivary flow, alpha-amylase, and cortisol were measured. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank and U-Mann were used for statistical analysis at a significance level of 0.05. Results. After the training session, a significant increase in salivary cortisol levels was observed in females (p < .05), whereas in males, a significant increase (p < .05) was noted in salivary alpha-amylase levels. There were no significant differences in alpha-amylase and cortisol levels between females and males before and after exercise. Conclusions. These results suggest that the response to physical exertion may vary depending on gender, which highlights a need for further research targeting the relationship between exercise intensity, hormonal response, and body adaptation.