Figure 1

Salivary concentration of biomarkers before and after the match. (a) Cortisol. (b) Alpha-amylase. (c) IgA. Wilcoxon rank test was used for differences between pre and post-match determinations. Statistically significant differences between groups are reported (P < 0.01). Data are shown as Tukey’s box plots. Cortisol values increased significantly after the match (a). As compared to values before match, no significant changes were recorded in the concentrations of AA after the match, although median increased slightly (b). IgA concentration fell significantly in the samples taken at the end of the match (c).