The 24-h Urinary Cortisol/Cortisone Ratio for Monitoring Training in Elite Swimmers

Abstract

The 24-h C/Cn ratio was moderately related to both training and performance whereas Cn levels were only related to training. The C/Cn ratio could be a useful indicator for monitoring the overreaching state in elite swimmers.

Urinary high performance reverse phase chromatography cortisol and cortisone analyses before and at the end of a race in elite cyclists

“…The strenuous exercise in fact did not demonstrate any difference between the pre and post competition F/E ratio; instead a significant difference comparing the basal F/E values of the sedentary subjects with the precompetition cyclists, was demonstrated. This investigation develops Atlaoui's data and agrees with their suggestion that this ratio might be suitable for training state investigation [8]. Cortisol action on target cells is determined by 11␤-HSD and in acute condition the activity of type 1 enzyme probably does not change.…”

Erratum to “Urinary high performance reverse phase chromatography cortisol and cortisone analyses before and at the end of a race in elite cyclists”

“…The strenuous exercise in fact did not demonstrate any difference between the pre and post-competition F/E ratio; instead a significant difference comparing the basal F/E values of the sedentary subjects with the pre-competition cyclists, was demonstrated. This investigation develops Atlaoui's data and agrees with their suggestion that this ratio might be suitable for training state investigation [8]. Cortisol action on target cells is determined by 11␤-HSD and in acute condition the activity of type 2 enzyme probably does not change.…”

“…Urinary free F (UF) excretion has been shown to be a reliable single index of adrenal/cortical secretion and has been accepted as a measurement of the free fraction in plasma [6,7]. Recently, the 24-h urinary F/E ratio has been proposed as a useful indicator for monitoring the overreaching state in elite swimmers [8]. It is also known that a few athletes illicitly use corticoids to improve their performance and the F/E ratio in a doping test could be used for doping detection [9].…”

24-hr Urinary Catecholamine Excretion, Training and Performance in Elite Swimmers

“…From the RT to LT periods, training volume and dryland training decreased by 38 ± 9 % (22.3 ± 4.9 km · wk -1 ) and 27 ± 12 % (3.1 ± 0.8 km · wk -1 ); respectively, while mean intensity increased by 1.6 ± 1.5 % (1.92 ± 0.2 arbitrary units · wk -1 ). At the end of each period, swimmers performed a competition and answered an 8-item questionnaire of fatigue [2] on the day of the competition ( Fig. 1).…”

“…On the morning of each competition day, the swimmers answered a 8-item questionnaire on fatigue as described by Atlaoui et al [2]. The eight questions ( Table 3) focused on the perception of training, sleep, leg pain, infection, concentration, efficacy, anxiety, irritability, and general stress and were assessed on a 7-point scale from very very good (1 point) to very very bad (7 points).…”