Table 4.

Differences in exercise-induced stress markers and the calculated stress score among the athletes who completed the marathon race (n = 21) differentiated by their protein.

Variable	PI < 20% (n = 12)	PI ≥ 20% (n = 9)	r (Diff.y = f(PI%))	Sign. r
Δ CK (U/L)	1.372 ± 1.242	521 ± 238 *	−0.387	0.083
Δ Myoglobin (µg/L)	2.129 ± 1.770	838 ± 602 *	−0.421	0.057
Δ Leukocytes (1.000/mL)	18.180 ± 3.920	15.160 ± 2.540	−0.411	0.064
IL−6 (pg/mL)	40.9 ± 16.2	31.0 ± 17.1	−0.476	0.034
Cortisol (ng/mL)	361 ± 90.4	278 ± 75.6 *	−0.459	0.036
Stress score (U)	11.2 ± 2.12	8.2 ± 1.99 **	−0.667	0.001

Results are presented as mean ± SD. ** p < 0.01; * < 0.05 (PI < 20% vs. PI ≥ 20%). Differences in exercise-induced stress markers and the calculated stress score among the athletes who completed the marathon race (n = 21) differentiated by their protein intake (PI, % per energy intake per day) after the intervention and the correlation coefficients (protein % of daily energy intake vs. stress markers). CK, creatine kinase.