COMPARISON OF THE TESTOSTERONE-TO-CORTISOL RATIO VALUES OBTAINED FROMHORMONAL ASSAYS IN SALIVA AND SERUM

Testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) were determined in serum and saliva, sampled simultaneously, from triathletes and karate athletes, in orde r to determine the T:C ratios in those body fluids and the relationshi p between them, as well as to assess the salivary T:C ratio as a measu re of the so-called anabolic-catabolic index. Mean salivary T:C (value (1.67+/-0.85) was nearly 3-fold lower than that obtained for serum (4 .87+/-1.86). Salivary and serum values were strongly correlated with o ne another (r=0.874, p<0.001) but the relationship depended on the ran ge of cortisol concentrations in serum, the slope of the salive - seru m regression line being significantly lower for serum cortisol concent rations over 600 nmol.l(-1) than for concentrations below that value ( 0.305 and 0.380, p<0.05, respectively). It has been concluded that the salivary T:C ratio, based on values reflecting the levels of biologic ally active fractions of T and C in circulation, is a better measure o f metabolic equilibrium conditioned by those hormones than the corresp onding ratio obtained from total concentrations in serum.