Effects of Team Sports on Female Testosterone and Cortisol Hormones: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Context: Sex hormones play a vital role in reproductive health and influence muscle function and metabolism. Exercise affects these hormones by raising testosterone levels and improving metabolic markers. However, the impact of team sports on female sex hormone levels remains understudied. Objectives: This review aims to systematically examine how sports like soccer, volleyball, basketball, and handball influence female sex hormone levels. Evidence Acquisition: This systematic review was conducted without any restrictions on language, publication date, or study type, based on the guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses [preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA)] on Google Scholar, PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases on June 22, 2024. The search strategy utilized a combination of keywords and their synonyms from MeSH and Emtree-controlled vocabulary, including "Sex Hormone", "testosterone", "cortisol", "team sport", and "women." Results: Among the 690 articles identified, 11 were selected and used based on the inclusion criteria. Studies have shown that football, netball, volleyball, and handball have varying effects on testosterone and cortisol levels in athletes. Football generally increases both hormone levels, whereas netball often raises cortisol and lowers the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio. Volleyball tends to increase testosterone significantly, though with fluctuating trends, whereas handball mainly raises cortisol without a significant change in testosterone levels. Conclusions: Despite the limitations of the included studies, such as sample size, study design, data collection standards, reporting practices, and potential biases, this systematic review indicated that playing team sports like football, basketball (netball), volleyball, and handball can alter testosterone and cortisol levels in females. However, further research is needed to fully understand these hormonal changes' effects.