Competitive stress assessment using salivary biomarkers in rhythmic gymnasts

Petrov, Lubomir (author), Gateva, Maria (author), Alexandrova, Albena (author), Kolimechkov, Stefan (author)

Stress and adaptation are inevitable components of the gymnastics training in competitive gymnasts. Salivary biomarkers, such as alpha-amylase activity (sAAA), concentration of protein (sP) and potassium (sK+) are useful non-invasive stress indicators. The aim of this study was to assess the stress levels before training and competitions in rhythmic gymnasts by using non-invasive biochemical salivary stress markers and anxiety questionnaires. The study included 10 national level rhythmic gymnasts (mean age: 14.7±1.57 years). Saliva was collected by salivates at three time points: nine days pre-competition at home (baseline), five days pre-competition before a training session, and just before the competition. The sAAA and the sP and sK+ were measured. Trait and state anxiety were evaluated by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. At baseline, the mean sAAA was 5.89±0.75 ln(U/mL) and increased significantly to 6.56±0.58 ln(U/mL) just before the training session (p<0.05) and increased further to 6.90±0.70 ln(U/mL) just before the competition (p<0.05 vs baseline). The mean sP increased progressively insignificantly 1.84±0.70 g/L vs 2.28±0.97 g/L vs 2.91±1.44 g/L, respectively. The mean sK+ was significantly higher before the competition vs the baseline value (35.73±8.3 mmol/L vs 23.94±4.83 mmol/L, p<0.01). The mean state anxiety score was significantly higher before the training session in contrast to the baseline (36.90±11.03 vs 30.80±10.26, p<0.05) and to that before the competition (40.10±9.57 vs 30.80±10.26, p<0.05). In conclusion, the sAAA and sK+ were both in agreement with the anxiety scores, and they can be applied as useful and objective non-invasive markers of stress.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, rhythmic gymnastics, saliva analysis, salivary potassium, anxiety markers, performance anxiety
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 100-118
• Numbering: Vol. 31, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180525
• UDC: 796.412:616.89-008.441
• ISSN on article: 1318-2269
• DOI: 10.52165/kinsi.31.1.100-118
• COBISS.SI-ID: 239727619
• Publication date in RUL: 11.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Kinesiologia Slovenica. scientific journal on sport
• Shortened title: Kinesiol. Slov.
• Publisher: Fakulteta za šport, Inštitut za kineziologijo, Fakulteta za šport, Inštitut za kineziologijo, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1318-2269
• COBISS.SI-ID: 30681856

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Ocena tekmovalnega stresa z uporabo biomarkerjev sline pri tekmovalcih v ritmični gimnastiki

Abstract

Stres in prilagoditev sta neizogibna sestavina treninga gimnastike pri tekmovalnih telovadcih. Biokemični markerji v slini, kot so aktivnost alfa-amilaze (sAAA), koncentracija beljakovin (sP) in kalija (sK+), so uporabni nenasilni kazalci stresa. Namen te študije je bil oceniti stopnje stresa pred treningi in tekmovanji pri ritmičnih telovadcih z uporabo neinvazivnih biokemijskih markerjev stresa v slini in vprašalnikov tesnobe. Študija je vključevala 10 tekmovadk, ki tekmujejo na nacionalni ravni (povprečna starost: 14,7±1,57 let). Slina je bila zbrana ob treh časovnih točkah: devet dni pred tekmovanjem doma (osnovna vrednost), pet dni pred tekmovanjem pred treningom in tik pred tekmovanjem. Meritve so zajemale sAAA, sP in sK+. Lastnosti in stanje tesnobe so bile ocenjene z Inventarjem tesnobe (STAI). Ob osnovni vrednosti je bila povprečna vrednost sAAA 5,89±0,75 ln(U/mL) in se je znatno povečala na 6,56±0,58 ln(U/mL) tik pred treningom (p<0,05), nato pa še na 6,90±0,70 ln(U/mL) tik pred tekmovanjem (p<0,05 v primerjavi z osnovno vrednostjo). Povprečna vrednost sP se je progresivno, a neznačilno, povečala z 1,84±0,70 g/L na 2,28±0,97 g/L in 2,91±1,44 g/L. Povprečna vrednost sK+ je bila znatno višja pred tekmovanjem v primerjavi z osnovno vrednostjo (35,73±8,3 mmol/L proti 23,94±4,83 mmol/L, p<0,01). Povprečni rezultat za stanje tesnobe je bil znatno višji pred treningom v primerjavi z osnovno vrednostjo (36,90±11,03 proti 30,80±10,26, p<0,05) in pred tekmovanjem (40,10±9,57 proti 30,80±10,26, p<0,05). Zaključek: sAAA in sK+ sta bila v skladu z rezultati tesnobe in ju je mogoče uporabiti kot koristne in objektivne neinvazivne markerje stresa.

• Keywords: šport, ritmična gimnastika, analiza sline, kalij v slini, markerji tesnobe, tekmovalna tesnoba