Serotonin and Mood State Changes in Response to a Period of Yoga Training in Well-Trained Wrestlers

ABSTRACT.

Overtraining syndrome is accompanied by changes of some neurotransmitters and an increase in mood disturbances. This study aimed to describe changes of plasma levels of serotonin and mood state, after a period of yoga training in well-trained wrestlers. Twenty-four volunteered well-trained wrestlers divided randomly into 2 equal groups: control and experimental. The experimental group completed 8 weeks of yoga training concurrent with wrestling training, 3 sessions per week, with each session lasting 60–75 min. Blood samples were collected from all participants, before and after yoga training. Plasma levels of serotonin and mood state were evaluated using standard commercial ELISA kits and Brunel questionnaire (BRUMS), respectively. Statistical comparisons were made using covariance analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient (p < .05). There is a significant difference between groups in serotonin levels (p = .0001) and mood disturbance scores (p = .0001), although there is no significant relation between serotonin levels and mood disturbance scores (r = 0.19; p = .54). It seems that doing yoga training concurrent with heavy wrestling training in the precompetition phase of competition season may be affected some psychological indices contributed with overtraining syndrome. Yoga as a safe intervention during heavy wrestling training may lead to prevention of overtraining syndrome.

Keywords::

• overtraining
• mood state
• serotonin
• yoga