Psycho-physiological symptoms of stress and fatigue in elite male fencers during one-day tournament. A pilot study

between the rate of anabolism and catabolism its ratio. The ear lier examinations of exercising male wrestles and weightlifters showed that during series of repeated short-lasting maximal efforts their blood T tended to decrease and blood cortisol increased, hence T/C ratio also decreased, although first single efforts caused rise of T [1,2]. That indicated the effect of fatigue accumulation upon suppression of pituitary-gonadal axis. The later studies confirmed, that after few exhaustive com petitive bouts T/C indexes were shifted toward lower values as compared to those recorded ones prior to the efforts, and that state may be maintained throughout several hours of the recovery [3-5]. These changes occurred due to very intensive, anaerobic efforts like as wrestling matches, when blood lactate level may reach up to 20 mmol/L, or after less intensive intermitted efforts of mixed, aerobic-anaerobic metabolism like rugby and soccer matches.