Uric Acid and Cortisol Levels in Plasma Correlate with Pre-Competition Anxiety in Novice Athletes of Combat Sports

Abstract

Pre-competition anxiety is very prevalent in novice athletes, causing stress and drastic decreases in their performances. Cortisol plays a central role in the psychosomatic responses to stress and also in the physiology of strenuous exercise. Growing evidence links uric acid, an endogenous antioxidant, with oxidative stress and anxiety, as observed in many depressive-related disorders. We here compared anxiety inventory scores (BAI and CSAI-2), cortisol and biomarkers of oxidative stress in the plasma of novice combat athletes (white and blue belts) before and after their first official national competition, when levels of stress are presumably high. Although the novice fighters did not reveal high indexes of anxiety on questionnaires, significant correlations were confirmed between cortisol and cognitive anxiety (Pearson’s r = 0.766, p-value = 0.002, and a ‘strong’ Bayesian inference; BF10 = 22.17) and between pre-post changes of plasmatic uric acid and somatic anxiety (r = 0.804, p < 0.001, and ‘very strong’ inference; BF10 = 46.52). To our knowledge, this is the first study to report such strong correlations between uric acid and pre-competition anxiety in novice combat athletes. The cause-consequence association between these indexes cannot be directly inferred here, although the interplay between uric acid and anxiety deserves further investigation.

Cardiometabolic characteristics of type 2 diabetes patients depending on obesity phenotypes

“…Кортизол має сильний вплив на метаболізм, викликаючи центральне ожиріння, резистентність до інсуліну, непереносимість глюкози і дисліпідемію -найважливіші чинники ризику ССЗ [8]. Через вплив на печінку, скелетні м'язи й жирову тканину, а також на альфаі бета-клітини підшлункової залози хронічне підвищення рівнів циркулюючого кортизолу може сприяти розвитку МС через інший механізм, ніж модулювання запалення, створюючи передумови для розвитку ЦД 2-го типу й порушення серцево-судинної системи [9]. Для ЦД патогномонічним є дисбаланс стероїдних гормонів, тобто спостерігаються зміни в анаболічному й катаболічному шляхах метаболізму [10].…”

Polyphenol Supplementation and Antioxidant Status in Athletes: A Narrative Review

“…The HPA pathway induces a longer transient hormonal cascade leading to glucocorticoids (cortisol) release from the adrenal cortex [ 237 ]. Researchers have studied the close relationship between stress hormones and athletic performance [ 238 , 239 ], and it has been found that circulating catecholamine levels increase during exercise in healthy athletes [ 240 ]. Catecholamines have beneficial effects on the heart, skeletal muscle, and central nervous system in relation to exercise performance [ 241 ].…”

An analysis of Indonesian student-level boxing athletes: What Effect Does Competition Anxiety Have on Self-Efficacy?

“…Anxiety symptoms include excessive perspiration, a racing heartbeat, cold, sweaty hands, dry lips, lightheadedness, tingling in the hands and feet, frequent urination, gastrointestinal pain (such as diarrhea), and uneven breathing (La Fratta et al, 2021; T. I. Lee et al, 2022;de Oliveira et al, 2022). Research studies that explain anxiety in boxing are still sparsely conducted, or there have been reports of scientific evidence, but experienced or professional boxing athletes conducted these studies.…”