Effects of a Soccer Tournament on the Psychohormonal States of Collegiate Female Players

Saliva as a diagnostic tool in soccer: a scoping review

Background

A high-performance sport like soccer requires training strategies that aim to reach peak performance at the right time for the desired competitions. Thus, the investigation of biochemical markers in saliva is a tool that is beginning to be used in athletes within the physical training process. There is still no evidence on universal saliva collection and analysis protocols in soccer. This review aims to map the use of saliva as a tool for analyzing athletic performance in soccer, from the biomarkers used to the validated protocols for these analyses.

Methods

A broad systematic literature search was carried out in the electronic databases Web of Science, Livivo, Scopus, PubMed, LILACS and gray literature (Google Scholar and ProQuest). Two reviewers selected the studies and extracted data on the type of salivary collection used, the salivary biomarker evaluated and monitored.

Results

Ninety-three articles were included. The most frequently analyzed salivary biomarkers were cortisol (n = 53), testosterone (n = 35), secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) (n = 33), salivary alpha amylase (n = 7), genetic polymorphisms (n = 4) and miRNAs (n = 2). The results of the studies indicated beneficial effects in monitoring salivary biomarkers in the assessment of sports performance, although most studies did not include a control group capable of comparison. Salivary collection and analysis protocols were varied and commonly not reported.

Conclusions

This scoping review provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of salivary biomarker research in soccer. The findings underscore the importance of these biomarkers in assessing athletes' physiological responses and overall well-being. Future research should focus on refining methodologies, exploring additional biomarkers, and investigating the practical implications of salivary biomarker monitoring in soccer and other sports.

Impact of victory and defeat on the perceived stress and autonomic regulation of professional eSports athletes

Competitive sports involve physiological, technical and psychological skills, which influence directly on individuals’ performance. This study aims to investigate the levels of perceived stress and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) before and after matches with victory and defeat in professional eSports athletes. Our hypothesis was that the winners would have better autonomic and stress responses after match, thus corroborating the literature on neurocardiac connections. Fifty male eSport players were selected players from 10 different Brazilian teams. The experiment was carried out in 2 sessions. Firstly, after signing the informed consent form, 24 h before the game, anthropometric, physical activity levels and time of expertise data were recorded only for sample characterization and the players were familiarized with the perceived stress scale—10 (PSS-10) and the HRV measurements. Secondly, players performed the PSS-10 and HRV recording at rest by 10 min 60 and 30 min before the game (i.e., baseline time) and 10 min after the end of the game. Overall, concerning PSS-10 our findings show that VG had significant reduced scores in post-game time compared to baseline (BL) and pre-game times, while DG had significant increased scores in post-game time compared to BL and pre-game times. Regarding HRV, our results demonstrate that VG had significant increase in RR, SDNN, rMSSD, pNN50 and HF, and significant decrease in LF and LF/HF, while DG had a significant decrease in RR, SDNN, rMSSD and HF, and significant increase in LF and LF/HF. It was observed that VG had better HRV responses (greater parasympathetic activation) as well as lower levels of perceived stress, while DG had worst HRV responses (greater sympathetic activation) and higher levels of perceived stress.

Fatigue and Recovery Time Course After Female Soccer Matches: A Systematic Review And Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to analyze the extent of fatigue responses after female soccer matches and the ensuing recovery time course of performance, physiological, and perceptual responses.

METHODS

Three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus) were searched in October 2020 and updated in November 2021. Studies were included when participants were female soccer players, regardless of their ability level. Further, the intervention was an official soccer match with performance, physiological, or perceptual parameters collected pre- and post-match (immediately, 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, or 72 h-post).

RESULTS

A total of 26 studies (n = 465 players) were included for meta-analysis. Most performance parameters showed some immediate post-match reduction (effect size [ES] = - 0.72 to - 1.80), apart from countermovement jump (CMJ; ES = - 0.04). Reduced CMJ performance occurred at 12 h (ES = - 0.38) and 24 h (ES = - 0.42) and sprint at 48 h post-match (ES = - 0.75). Inflammatory and immunological parameters responded acutely with moderate-to-large increases (ES = 0.58-2.75) immediately post-match. Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase alterations persisted at 72 h post-match (ES = 3.79 and 7.46, respectively). Small-to-moderate effects were observed for increased cortisol (ES = 0.75) and reduced testosterone/cortisol ratio (ES = -0.47) immediately post-match, while negligible to small effects existed for testosterone (ES = 0.14) and estradiol (ES = 0.34). Large effects were observed for perceptual variables, with increased fatigue (ES = 1.79) and reduced vigor (ES = - 0.97) at 12 h post-match, while muscle soreness was increased immediately post (ES = 1.63) and at 24 h post-match (ES = 1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

Acute fatigue exists following female soccer matches, and the performance, physiological, and perceptual parameters showed distinctive recovery timelines. Importantly, physical performance was recovered at 72 h post-match, whereas muscle damage markers were still increased at this time point. These timelines should be considered when planning training and match schedules. However, some caution should be advised given the small number of studies available on this population.

REGISTRATION

The protocol for this systematic review was pre-registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, Registration Number: CRD42021237857).