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Nobari, HadiAuthor

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February 11, 2026
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Review

Plasma and salivary measures of testosterone and cortisol levels in basketball players under various games / training conditions, and nutritional strategies: an updated systematic review

Publicated to: Frontiers in Physiology. 16 1678971- - 2026-01-15 16(), DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1678971

Authors:

Brini, Seifeddine; Clark, Cain C T; Ouergui, Ibrahim; Delextrat, Anne; Yagin, Fatma Hilal; Muscella, Antonella; Badicu, Georgian; Bouassida, Anissa; Clemente, Filipe Manuel; Al-Mhanna, Sameer Badri; Tabnjh, Abedelmalek Kalefh; Nobari, Hadi; Calleja Gonzalez, Julio
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Affiliations

AlQasim Green Univ, Dept Higher Studies, Babylon, Iraq - Author
Birmingham City Univ, Sch Life & Hlth Sci, Birmingham, England - Author
Gdansk Univ Phys Educ & Sport, Dept Biomech & Sport Engn, Gdansk, Poland - Author
Jordan Univ Sci & Technol, Fac Appl Med Sci, Dept Appl Dent Sci, Irbid, Jordan - Author
Lakehead Univ, Dept Comp Sci, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada - Author
Malatya Turgut Ozal Univ, Fac Med, Dept Biostat, Malatya, Turkiye - Author
Oxford Brookes Univ, Ctr Movement Occupat & Rehabil Serv, Oxford, England - Author
Polytech Univ Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal - Author
Saveetha Inst Med & Tech Sci, Saveetha Med Coll & Hosp, Ctr Global Hlth Res, Dent Res Unit, Chennai, India - Author
Saveetha Univ, Saveetha Med Coll & Hosp, Saveetha Inst Med & Tech Sci, Ctr Global Hlth Res, Chennai, India - Author
Sport Phys Act & Hlth Res & Innovat Ctr, Coimbra, Portugal - Author
Univ Basque Country UPV EHU, Fac Educ & Sport, Phys Educ & Sport Dept, Vitoria, Spain - Author
Univ Gothenburg, Inst Odontol, Sahlgrenska Acad, Dept Cariol, Gothenburg, Sweden - Author
Univ Jendouba, High Inst Sport & Phys Educ Kef, El Kef, Tunisia - Author
Univ Jendouba, Res Unit, Sport Sci Hlth & Movement, UR22JS01, El Kef, Tunisia - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Fac Phys Act & Sport Sci INEF, Dept Hlth & Human Performance, LFE Res Grp, Madrid, Spain - Author
Univ Salento, Dept Biol & Environm Sci & Technol DiSTeBA, Lecce, Italy - Author
Univ Transilvania Brasov, Dept Phys Educ & Special Motr, Brasov, Romania - Author
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Abstract

Background: In basketball research, hormonal monitoring has focused almost exclusively on plasma and salivary testosterone and cortisol, as these methods are more practical and accessible for applied sport settings than alternative approaches. Yet, no systematic review recapitulates these two methods together among Basketball players under various (games/training) conditions, and different nutritional strategies. Objectives: This systematic review synthesized the existing literature on testosterone and cortisol measurements in basketball players using salivary and blood samples under various (games/training) conditions, and different nutritional strategies, and discussed implications for practical monitoring. Methods: A comprehensive search of electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) was conducted for studies published between 1999 and 2025. Eligible studies involved basketball players and assessed testosterone and cortisol via salivary or blood sampling during training, matches, or recovery. Data were extracted and narratively synthesized due to heterogeneity and the absence of direct comparison studies. Results: Forty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. Salivary cortisol consistently reflected acute stress responses post-match, aligning closely with blood cortisol measures. Testosterone responses were more variable; salivary testosterone sometimes diverged from blood levels, indicating methodological sensitivity differences. The testosterone-to-cortisol ratio decreased following matches, highlighting a shift toward a catabolic state. Salivary sampling showed practical advantages for field monitoring but requires standardized protocols for testosterone assessment. Conclusion: Salivary sampling is a promising, non-invasive alternative for monitoring cortisol in basketball players, with practical benefits for field use. However, discrepancies in salivary testosterone measurements compared to blood samples suggest cautious interpretation. The current literature lacks direct comparative studies in basketball, underscoring the need for future research to validate and standardize hormone monitoring methods to optimize training and recovery strategies.
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Keywords

Activity demandsCongested gamesElite basketballFatigueHormonal responsesHormonesImmune-endocrine responsesMatchPhysical performancePlaying venueRecoveryResistance exerciseSession-rpeState anxietyTraining

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2026, it was in position 20/87, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Physiology.

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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-07:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 9.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 9 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 1.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 1 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: Canada; India; Iraq; Italy; Jordan; Oman; Poland; Portugal; Sweden; Tunisia; Turkey; United Kingdom.

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