Positive day-to-day relationships between the cortisol and testosterone awakening responses in elite male athletes

Blair T Crewther; Benjamin G Serpell; Zbigniew Obmiński; James McLaren; Phillip Fourie; Christian J Cook

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.148541

eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X

Biology of Sport

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4/2025
vol. 42

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abstract:

Original paper

Positive day-to-day relationships between the cortisol and testosterone awakening responses in elite male athletes

Blair T Crewther

^{1, 2, 3}

,

Benjamin G Serpell

^{1, 4, 5}

,

Zbigniew Obmiński

³

,

James McLaren

⁶

,

Phillip Fourie

¹

,

Christian J Cook

^{1, 7}

School of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, Australia
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Institute of Sport – National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
Richmond Tigers Football Club, Melbourne, Australia
University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise (UCRISE), University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
Geelong Cats Football Club, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College, London, UK

Biol Sport. 2025;42(4):29–36

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.148541

Online publish date: 2025/04/14

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The cortisol awakening response (CAR) shows promise as a tool for tracking stress, recovery, and fatigue, although questions around CAR stability in elite sport exist. A functional cortisol link to testosterone and its awakening response (TAR) could also affect the CAR and endpoint outcomes, with stress as a moderating factor. To help resolve these issues, we investigated the day-to-day dynamics of the CAR and TAR in elite athletes and controls. Saliva samples (i.e., waking, waking+30 minutes) were taken from 29 male rugby players (mean age 26.4 years) on four consecutive days and 42 male controls (age 31.0 years) on two consecutive or non-consecutive days. Relative CAR_∆30 and TAR_∆30 were computed as a reactive change score. All of the hormonal variables showed poor short-term stability in elite athletes, with only slight improvements among controls. On average, a significant and similar rising CAR_∆30 was seen in athletes (42.0%) and controls (27.0%), whilst the TAR_∆30 declined similarly in both cohorts by -11.0% and -15.5%, respectively. In elite athletes only, the CAR_∆30 and TAR_∆30 were significantly and positively related, likewise for all other cortisol-to-testosterone variable comparisons (partial r = 0.19–0.45). In summary, substantial daily variation emerged in the relative CAR and TAR, especially in elite male athletes. However, only elite athletes presented positive CAR and TAR relationships that extended to their constituent components. These signals could represent a coordinated system to prepare for and respond to daily stressors in elite sport, which also offers a complex regulatory mechanism for controlling the CAR.

keywords:

Positive day-to-day relationships between the cortisol and testosterone awakening responses in elite male athletes

Blair T Crewther 1, 2, 3 , Benjamin G Serpell 1, 4, 5 , Zbigniew Obmiński 3 , James McLaren 6 , Phillip Fourie 1 , Christian J Cook 1, 7

Adrenals, Stress, Gonads, Recovery, Adaptation, Coupling

Blair T Crewther

^{1, 2, 3}

,

Benjamin G Serpell

^{1, 4, 5}

,

Zbigniew Obmiński

³

,

James McLaren

⁶

,

Phillip Fourie

¹

,

Christian J Cook

^{1, 7}