A study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology describes the effectiveness of saliva and urine samples in accurately capturing the changes in cortisol and oxytocin levels in response to physical exercise. Study: Oxytocin and cortisol concentrations in urine and saliva in response to physical exercise in humans . Image Credit: SewCreamStudio / Shutterstock Background Oxytocin is a hormone that plays a vital role in regulating social and emotional behaviors, cardiovascular functions, and energy intake.
Various social and non-social conditions stimulate the endogenous oxytocin system, leading to increased neuropeptide synthesis in the hypothalamus and subsequent release within the brain and peripheral circulation. Estimating oxytocin concentrations in peripheral samples, including blood, saliva, urine, and sweat, is generally preferred over cerebrospinal fluid puncture as the latter is an invasive method associated with higher health risks and intense medical care. However, the sensitivity and reliability of measuring oxytocin concentration in saliva and urine samples remains uncertain.
It is also unclear whether and under which conditions urinary oxytocin correlates with salivary oxytocin concentrations. In this study, scientists have investigated whether urinary and salivary measurements of oxytocin and cortisol levels are sufficient to accurately capture physical exercise-induced fluctuations in their concentrations. They have included cortisol as a marker of hypot.