title: [Is a 11-year-old tennis player indifferent to competition stress?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In adults, competition generates a relatively important level of stress. This could be revealed by psychological questionnaires and adrenocortical responses. This study was aimed to evaluate the load of stress in young tennis players in situations of competition compared to that observed during a training session.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 16 best young tennis players of the Auvergne area (mean age: 10.9 +/- 1.7 years) entered the study. The degree of anxiety was measured with the aid of the Martens' SCAT questionnaire and the result of salivary cortisol testing during a training session, and after each of the three competition rounds of the Auvergne championship (three samples were collected at each time: at rest, before and after exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regarding the degree of anxiety, no significant difference was found between the competition and the training session. Cortisol levels did not change during the training session: during the competition, same moderate increase (less than 50%, P < 0.05) was noted for the first two rounds between rest and post-competition values. No difference was found at the third round.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high levels of stress described in adults are not found in young tennis players.
authors.affiliation: UFR, STAPS, université Blaise-Pascal, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pantelidis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chamoux
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fargeas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lac
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013715:Tennis / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone