In elite athletes training for national competitions, a blood cortisol level of 208.05 nmol/L or higher is associated with a 75% chance of correctly identifying poor sleep quality and a 71.9% chance of correctly identifying good sleep quality, suggesting it could be used as a biological indicator to detect sleep disruption.

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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High cortisol levels as a risk factor for athletes poor sleep quality in training centers

Case-Control Study

Human

Athletes who slept poorly had much higher stress hormone (cortisol) levels in their blood than those who slept well, suggesting that checking cortisol levels can help tell if an athlete isn't sleeping properly.

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Source Study

High cortisol levels as a risk factor for athletes poor sleep quality in training centers

Score: 48

DOI: 10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20251282

Similar Assertions

In athletes with high levels of the stress hormone cortisol, there is a measurable link to worse sleep quality, as determined by a standard sleep questionnaire.

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84%

Athletes who sleep poorly are more likely to have elevated cortisol levels than those who sleep well, even when accounting for differences in sport, gender, and age. This suggests cortisol levels may be a stronger indicator of stress-related physiology than these demographic factors.

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76%

Among athletes with intense training schedules, differences in sleep quality are not reliably linked to whether someone is male or female, or to their age, once cortisol levels are taken into account.

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70%