These findings highlight the catabolic hormonal responses that occurred, particularly during the second karate bout. Particularly, during two consecutive bouts, salivary cortisol (sC) increased progressively and significantly from pre-combat 1 to post-combat 1 and from pre-combat 1 to post-combat 2. Recently, Chaabène et al. showed that simulated karate competition could be considered as a challenging situation and a very-high intensity and stressful activity in male elite level karateka. The authors reported that both forms produced significant increases in glucose, T and catecholamine levels, without appreciable changes in insulin and C concentrations . Hormonal responses between pre- and post- taekwondo competition (mean ± SD or relative effect %). Hormonal responses between pre- and post-karate competition (mean ± SD or relative effect %). All studies were cross-sectional with pre- and post-combat hormonal analysis (Table 1, 2, 3). In light of the results obtained, the hormonal axis analyzed here has been proven to be as important in the metabolic response to exercise as it is in endurance sports with the dynamic component prevailing. The type of exercise in numerous combat sports involves short intervals (short breaks between attacks). In such sports, what matters more than success in a competition is discipline, educational effect, physical fitness, and self-confidence. The available literature reports that Olympic-level combat athletes generally show higher aggression indices than those performing at a lower level . Most karate and taekwondo competition involves predesigned attack, defense, and counterattack (kata) demonstration forms. Although all combat sport disciplines have a common origin, they remain different with regard to the rules of the fight, its dynamics, and requirements posed on the athletes. A previous review by Kraemer and Ratamess showed that age and/or maturity are mediator variables of the resistance training-endocrine response relationship. As mentioned, the human literature shows contradictory findings regarding the link between competitions, their outcome and hormonal variations (especially in relation to T) while also showing a high degree of methodological heterogeneity 9,40-42. The T response appeared to depend on the nature of the competition contest (particularly whether a real bout is involved), individual character and the participant’s evaluation of the likelihood of winning or losing the bout. In addition, plasma growth hormone (GH), C, glucose, and lactate concentrations were significantly elevated following non-combat kickboxing (NCKB) sessions, which consisted of 10 min of very light warm-up followed by seven sets of six techniques, 20 s per technique as fast as possible, with 1 min of rest between sets . This is a strong argument in favor of the discipline grouping used in the present study. The athletes are expected to perform a range of postures/poses and techniques attesting to their skills and versatility. The basic blood BDNF level was similar in all the groups and amounted to 217.1 ± 24.1 pg/ml (K group), 231.4 ± 23.6 pg/ml (T group) and 228.0 ± 31.5 pg/ml (JWS group). The relationship between high C responses and performance outcome and the differences in both psychological and hormones variables between different ages and levels of athlete are still unclear and future research in this context will be of practical relevance. For instance, the development of strategies to facilitate the recovery of C levels and assist athletes to cope with the demands of taekwondo championships where several bouts per day are common may be an important consideration for future research. During the day of the competition, taekwondo athletes can be engaged in several bouts with variable amounts of time ~30–120 min between competitions; thus cumulative effects may be expected in sC responses . In addition, it could be possible to speculate that the high hormonal responses in the 10-year-old taekwondo athletes mirror the highest exercise intensities recorded in this group with respect to their older counterparts. BDNF is a major regulator of synaptic transmission and plasticity in adult synapses in many areas of the central nervous system , and physical exercise on a treadmill has been shown to increase its blood concentration in a manner dependent on the load and distance covered . Moreover, one should bear in mind that exercise-induced cortisol secretion displays high intersubject variability which depends on resistance to stress, degree of training, and exhaustion . A rise in the blood cortisol level during short, repeated supramaximal exercise has already been reported 1, 21. Numerous papers have underlined the impact that testosterone has on the athletes' psychological reactions—reduction of fear and stimulation of aggression and motivation 17, 18.
