Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase reactivity to taekwondo competition in children

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an official taekwondo competition (three 1-min rounds with a 1-min recovery in-between) on heart rate (HR), salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), and salivary-free cortisol (sC) in children. Parental consent was obtained for 12 young (10.4 ± 0.2 years) male taekwondo athletes. Saliva sample were collected 15 min before and 1 min after an official taekwondo competition, and at 30, 60, and 90 min of the recovery period. To evaluate the exercise intensity during the competition, HR was measured and expressed as a percentage of individuals HRpeak. Athletes spent 78% of the time working at HR > 90% HRmax, with significant increases from round 1 to round 2 and 3. Peak sAA observed at the end of the match (169.6 ± 47.0 U/mL) was different (P = 0.0001) from the other samplings (pre-competition 55.0 ± 14.0 U/mL, 30-min recovery 80.4 ± 17.7 U/mL, 60-min recovery 50.5 ± 7.6 U/ml; 90-min recovery 53.2 ± 9.6 U/mL). Peak sC values observed at 30-min recovery (17.9 ± 3.5 nmol/L) were different (P < 0.0001) from pre-competition (5.6 ± 0.9 nmol/L), post-competition (9.0 ± 2.0 nmol/L), 60-min recovery (10.3 ± 2.6 nmol/L) and 90-min recovery (4.2 ± 0.8 nmol/L) values. These findings confirm that taekwondo competitions pose a high stress on young athletes. The different sAA and sC reactions in response to the physical stressor mirror the faster reactivity of the sympathetic-adrenomedullary system relatively to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical system, respectively. This experimental paradigm might represent a useful model for further research on the effects of various stressors (i.e., training and competition) in taekwondo athletes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Benitez-Sillero Jde D, Perez-Navero JL, Tasset I, Guillen-Del Castillo M, Gil-Campos M, Tunez I (2009) Influence of intense exercise on saliva glutathione in prepubescent and pubescent boys. Eur J Appl Physiol 106:181–186

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bot SDM, Hollander AP (2000) The relationship between heart rate and oxygen uptake during non-steady state exercise. Ergonomics 43:1578–1592

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bridge CA, Jones MA, Hitchen P, Sanchez X (2007) Heart rate responses to Taekwondo training in experienced practitioners. J Strength Cond Res 21:718–723

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bridge CA, Jones MA, Drust B (2009) Physiological responses and perceived exertion during international Taekwondo competition. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 4:485–493

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bunc V, Psotta R (2001) Physiological profile of very young soccer players. Int J Sports Med Phys Fitness 41:337–341

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Butios S, Tasika N (2007) Changes in heart rate and blood lactate concentration as intensity parameters during simulated Taekwondo competition. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 47:179–185

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chiodo S, Tessitore A, Cortis C, Lupo C, Ammendolia A, Iona T, Capranica L (2011a) Effects of official Taekwondo competitions on all-out performances of elite athletes. J Strength Cond Res 25:334–339

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiodo S, Tessitore A, Cortis C, Cibelli G, Lupo C, Ammendolia A, De Rosas M, Capranica L (2011b) Stress-related hormonal and psychological changes to official youth Taekwondo competitions. Scand J Med Sci Sports 21:111–119

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chiodo S, Tessitore A, Cortis C, Lupo C, Ammendolia A, Capranica L (2011c) Effects of official youth taekwondo competitions on jump and strength performances. Eur J Sports Sciences (in press)

  • Erie ZZ, Pieter W (2008) Physical fitness in recreational child taekwondo participants. In: Hume PA, Stewart AD (eds) Kinanthropometry In: XI Pre-Olympic Congress Anthropometry Research, 2008 Aug 1–5, Guangzhou, China, pp 90–95

  • Federazione Italiana Taekwondo (2009) Torneo Kim e Liù. http://www.taekwondowtf.it/circolari/circolare5-09. (Accessed 15 May 2009)

  • Granger DA, Kivlighan KT, el-Sheikh M, Gordis EB, Stroud LR (2007) Salivary alpha-amylase in biobehavioral research: recent developments and applications. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1098:122–144

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Helsen WF, Bultynck JB (2004) Physical and perceptual-cognitive demands of top-class refereeing in association football. J Sports Sci 22:179–189

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins WG (2010) A scale of magnitude for effect statistics. http://www.sportsci.org/resource/stats/effectmag.html. (Accessed 3 April 2010)

  • International Olympic Committee (2009) Olympic News: A “Go” for Youth Olympic Games. http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/olympic_news. (Accessed 28 July 2009)

  • Kim HB, Stebbins CL, Chai JH, Song JK (2011) Taekwondo training and fitness in female adolescents. J Sports Sci 29:133–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kirschbaum C, Hellhammer DH (1989) Salivary cortisol in psychophysiological research: an overview. Neuropsychobiol 22:150–169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kivlighan KT, Granger DA (2006) Salivary a-amylase response to competition: relation to gender, previous experience, and attitudes. Psychoneuroendocrinology 31:703–714

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koh JO, Watkinson EJ, Yoon YJ (2004) Video analysis of head blows leading to concussion in competition Taekwondo. Brain Inj 18:1287–1296

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matsushigue KA, Hartmann K, Franchini E (2009) Taekwondo: physiological responses and match analysis. J Strength Cond Res 23:1112–1127

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nater UM, La Marca R, Florin L, Moses A, Langhans W, Koller MM, Ehlert U (2006) Stress-induced changes in human salivary alpha-amylase activity-associations with adrenergic activity. Psychoneuroendocrinology 31:49–58

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nater UM, Rohleder N, Schlotz W, Ehlert U, Kirschbaum C (2007) Determinants of the diurnal course of salivary alpha-amylase. Psychoneuroendocrinology 32:392–401

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pieter W (2008) Body build of elite junior taekwondo athletes. Acta Kinesiologiae Univ Tartuensis 13:99–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Pieter W, Heijmans J (2000) Scientific coaching for Olympic Taekwondo, 2nd edn. Meyer & Meyer Sport, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilz-Burstein R, Ashkenazi Y, Yaakobovitz Y, Cohen Y, Zigel L, Nemet D, Shamash N, Eliakim A (2010) Hormonal response to Taekwondo fighting simulation in elite adolescent athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 110:1283–1290

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rowland TW (1996) Developmental exercise physiology. Human Kinetics, Champaign

  • Skelton DL, Glynn MA, Berta SM (1991) Aggressive behavior as a function of Taekwondo ranking. Percept Mot Skills 72:179–182

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suzana MA, Pieter W (2006) The effect of training on general motor abilities in young Malaysian taekwondo athletes. Acta Kinesiologiae Univ Tartuensis 11:87–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Suzana MA, Pieter W (2009) Motor ability profile of junior and senior taekwondo club athletes. Brazilian J Biomoricity 3:325–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Toskovic NN, Blessing D, Williford HN (2002) The effect of experience and gender on cardiovascular and metabolic responses with dynamic tae kwon do exercise. J Strength Cond Res 16:278–285

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Stegeren A, Rohleder N, Everaerd W, Wolf OT (2006) Salivary alpha amylase activity as a marker for adrenergic activity during stress: effect of betablockade. Psychoneuroendocrinology 31:137–141

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Stegeren AH, Wolf OT, Kindt M (2008) Salivary alpha amylase and cortisol responses to different stress tasks: impact of sex. Int J Psychophysiol 69:33–40

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Viru A, Viru M (2004) Cortisol-essential adaptation hormone in exercise. Int J Sports Med 25:461–464

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the taekwondo athletes who participated in this study, the General Secretary of the Italian Taekwondo Federation (FITA) Angelo Cito for his assistance in the organization of the experimental sessions, and Mario De Rosas, Erika Casolino and Antonio Ammendolia for their assistance in data processing. Funding from FITA and the University of Rome Foro Italico was received for this work.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors have no potential conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Movement and Sport Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Piazzo Lauro de Bosis, 15, 00135, Rome, Italy

    Laura Capranica, Corrado Lupo, Cristina Cortis & Antonio Tessitore

  2. School of Medicine, University of Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy

    Salvatore Chiodo

  3. Italian Taekwondo Federation, Rome, Italy

    Salvatore Chiodo

  4. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy

    Giuseppe Cibelli

Authors
  1. Laura Capranica
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Corrado Lupo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Cristina Cortis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Salvatore Chiodo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Giuseppe Cibelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Antonio Tessitore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Capranica.

Additional information

Communicated by Susan A. Ward.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Capranica, L., Lupo, C., Cortis, C. et al. Salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase reactivity to taekwondo competition in children. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 647–652 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2023-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2023-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation