Elite basketball training causes high levels of physiological stress, which can lead to negative physiological disorders in female athletes. The aim of this study was to establish the impact of physical activity on the rhythm of salivary cortisol secretion in elite female basketball players over one week. The population sample included 9 women professional basketball players. The control group was made up of 9 women who did not do any exercise. Saliva samples were collected from all participants at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. on training days. Samples from the basketball group showed a significantly higher cortisol secretion. Moreover, from the second night, the pattern of cortisol secretion of these players was reversed, showing higher levels of cortisol in saliva at night than in the morning. The results suggest that the secretion rhythm changed over the course of the week and according to competitive demands.
Keywords: circadian rhythm; physiological stress; salivary cortisol; women’s basketball.