The Effect of Winning / Losing on Profiles of Mood States and Salivary Cortisol Concentration in Female Handball Player

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of winning / losing on profiles of mood states and salivary cortisol concentration in female handball player. The methodology used in this study was quasi-experimental design. The subjects were healthy female university students whit mean age yr, height cm and weight kg who were members of a handball club. Salivary cortisol were measured in samples taken min and min before, during and min and min after a handball competition and were determined by ELISA. Profiles of mood states (POMS) were obtained before (Pre) and after competition (Post). The validity and reliability hawe been reported in literature. Data were analyzed by using repeated measures ANOVA and pearson correlation. The differences were accepted at alpha. In the samples taken after playing handball, there was an increasement in the levels of salivary cortisol, and the profile of mood states score increased significantly during competition compared with pre. The results suggest that cortisol changes during handball competition are influenced by winning or losing.