Abstract
Up to 95% of a soccer match entails aerobic actions that may cause fatigue. Little is known about the effects of fatigue on the hormonal and psychological states of female players. Cortisol values (saliva sample), state anxiety (Spielberger State-trait Anxiety Inventory) and mood scores (Incredibly Short Profile of Mood States [ISP], comprising six subscales and total mood disturbances [TMD]) of 43 female players (aged 22.0±2.7 years) were taken immediately prior to and 15 min after an aerobic fatiguing test (AFT: Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery [YYIR] test). Cortisol increased (d=0.7, p=0.007) and ISP–confusion and ISP–vigour decreased (d=0.5, p=0.01–0.02). At pre-AFT, a slight positive relationship between cortisol and anxiety-absence (r=0.3, p=0.05) was seen. TMD consistently demonstrated a strong relationship with all ISP and anxiety scores (r>0.4, p<0.01). Post-AFT results demonstrated a positive relationship between cortisol and blood lactate (r=0.3, p=0.04), between ISP–anger with maximal heart rate (r=0.3, p=0.03), ISP–anger and YYIR level as well as ISP–fatigue (r=0.4, p=0.04), and between perceived exertion rate and ISP–vigour (r=-0.4, p=0.008) as well as ISP–fatigue (r=0.3, p=0.05). Fatigue caused by prolonged activity may be a greater physiological than psychological stressor, although both may affect soccer performance. We recommend training players to increase their aerobic capacity to ensure maximal quality match-time before fatigue and its subsequent adverse physiological and psychological effects set in.
 Significance:
 
 The YYIR-1 test is effective in producing significant changes in both the hormonal and psychological states of female soccer players.
 Conditioning staff can effectively implement a mood state questionnaire to predict possible psychological stress (increase in state or trait anxiety) prior to and after a stressor.
 A relationship exists between cortisol and the absenteeism of anxiety prior to this fatiguing test, as well as with blood lactate thereafter. Therefore, the State-trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaire can be administered and blood lactate samples can be collected as they may display sensitive information regarding hormonal state.
 A positive relationship exists between the maximal heart rate achieved following an aerobic fatiguing test and various mood subscales experienced. Thus, with an increase in heart rate (as frequently observed due to fatigue), it can be assumed that an increase in perceived negative mood state might take place.
Highlights
Based on an extensive literature review and searches, we found no published research on the effect of an aerobic fatiguing test (AFT) on the psycho-hormonal state of female soccer players in South Africa and, more broadly, in Africa
The aim of our study was, first to evaluate the effect of an AFT on the anxiety, mood and cortisol levels of these players; and second, to determine what associated relationships prevail between anxiety, mood and cortisol levels and/or the AFT
The subscale anxiety–absence was larger than anxiety–present, a moderate effect was seen in the anxiety-present scores from pre- to post-AFT (d=0.5 confidence interval (CI): 0.07–1.0)
Summary
Soccer is characterised by players performing submaximally for a prolonged period, with fatigue commonly observed due to the inability to endure the required work rate for the entire match.[1,2] Most actions are executed at a submaximal exertion level, dominating up to 95% of the work-rate profiles during a match.[2,3,4] a large aerobic capacity is needed to maintain high performance throughout a 90-min match; in the absence of large aerobic capacity, fatigue may set in either at the peripheral (outside the central nervous system) or central (within the central nervous system) sites of the body, with debilitating physiological and psychological consequences.[1,3,5] Physiologically, fatigue (perceived as the ‘sense of effort’) reflects the dominance of the motor drive from the cerebral cortex to the motor neurons, whereas psychologically it reflects the exercise capacity.[5]It is important when planning training sessions to determine when and why fatigue occurs during a match.[6]. Soccer is characterised by players performing submaximally for a prolonged period, with fatigue commonly observed due to the inability to endure the required work rate for the entire match.[1,2] Most actions are executed at a submaximal exertion level, dominating up to 95% of the work-rate profiles during a match.[2,3,4] a large aerobic capacity is needed to maintain high performance throughout a 90-min match; in the absence of large aerobic capacity, fatigue may set in either at the peripheral (outside the central nervous system) or central (within the central nervous system) sites of the body, with debilitating physiological and psychological consequences.[1,3,5] Physiologically, fatigue (perceived as the ‘sense of effort’) reflects the dominance of the motor drive from the cerebral cortex to the motor neurons, whereas psychologically it reflects the exercise capacity.[5]. Examining the effects of fatigue during exercise is an area of concern in studies of the physiology and psychology of sport.[5]
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