Table 2.
Comparison of the quantified cortisol levels in the morning and at night on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, between the group that did physical exercise those days (basketball group) and the group that did not do any kind of exercise (control group).
| Basketball Group | Control Group | Z | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortisol (ηg/mL) Median (IQR) |
Cortisol (ηg/mL) Median (IQR) |
|||
| M1 | 8.62 (8.58) | 1.53 (1.33) | −2.693 | 0.007 * |
| N1 | 1.82 (1.28) | 0.48 (0.54) | −3.546 | 0.000 *** |
| M2 | 5.34 (6.43) | 1.48 (1.50) | −2.693 | 0.007 * |
| N2 | 6.38 (12.99) | 0.47 (0.70) | −3.576 | 0.000 *** |
| M3 | 4.81 (4.65) | 1.97 (3.19) | −1.886 | 0.059 |
| N3 | 2.80 (16.05) | 0.58 (0.85) | −3.182 | 0.001 ** |
| M4 | 3.84 (10.02) | 1.81 (1.36) | −2.593 | 0.01 * |
| N4 | 5.74 (11.34) | 0.50 (1.05) | −3.334 | 0.001 ** |
IQR: interquartile range; M: morning (09:00 a.m.); N: night (11:00 p.m.); 1: Monday, 2: Wednesday; 3: Friday; 4: Sunday. * Significant differences p < 0.05, ** significant differences p < 0.005, *** significant differences p < 0.001; Z: Mann–Whitney U test.