Measurement of morning saliva cortisol in athletes.

Objectives: To evaluate feasibility and reliability of measuring saliva cortisol in athletes. Design and methods: Saliva cortisol was measured in 25 soccer players, and compared with serum cortisol measured with two commercial immunoassays. Results: A highly significant correlation was observed between saliva and serum cortisol. The percentage of saliva and serum values above the upper limit of the reference range was nearly identical. Conclusions: Salivary measurement is a suitable approach for monitoring cortisol in athletes. (c) 2009 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved