title: Stress related changes during a half marathon in master endurance athletes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to investigate heart rate (HR), salivary cortisol (sC) alpha-amylase (sAA) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in relation to competition outcome during a half marathon.
  
  
  METHODS
  HR was monitored and salivary samples were collected during an official half marathon in five Master endurance runners (age 47 ± 7 years). RPE was collected using a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) 30 minutes after the end of competition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Performance corresponded to 94% of their personal best (PB). Athletes spent 53.7% of total race time at intensities above 95% HRmax. RPE showed values of 68 ± 8 mm. With respect to pre-competition values (25.54 ± 6.39 nmol/L), sC concentrations significantly increased (P=0.043) by 59% immediately after the race (40.54 ± 3.95 nmol/L) and remained elevated until 1 h post exercise. Pre-competition sAA concentrations (90.59 ± 42.86 U/mL) were 118% higher (P=0.043) with respect to time-matched baseline values (197.92 ± 132 U/mL). sAA increased (192%; P=0.043) immediately after the race and was higher than time-matched resting samples. The better each athlete performed the greater cortisol increase during exercise (P<0.001). Performance was not correlated to the anticipatory sAA (the percent difference between pre-competition values and time-matched baseline ones) or to the sAA increase during exercise.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first attempt to study the stress-related responses during official endurance competitions in master runners. Although the strict criteria of inclusion might have limited the statistical significance, the present findings indicate that endurance competition is a remarkable stressor for psycho-physiological aspects of master athletes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences,"Foro Italico" University, Rome, Italy - mariafrancesca.piacentini@uniroma4.it.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Piacentini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minganti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferragina
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ammendolia
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capranica
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cibelli
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance; D005082:Physical Exertion; D012420:Running; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000516:alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone