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SapereX Cortisol Athlete is a two-day saliva test designed around training. You test on a rest day and a load day to see how you regulate and deploy energy. The results help you visualize baseline physiology, response to training, and recovery.
One Test.
Two days of data built around training.
A molecular picture of how your body responds.
What you will get with SapereX Cortisol Athlete?
Rest-day rhythm
training-day response
recovery trajectory
Testing supplies:
Easy to understand instructions- Saliva collection tubes for two days of testing (rest + load)
- Access to simple digital forms that capture your training details and day-of-collection context for more personalized insights
- Sealable, pre-paid return envelope
Personalized report, showing energy deployment with training and recovery trajectory
$399 includes kit, laboratory analysis, and full report
Order SapereX Cortisol Athlete
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I test?
You’ll test on two separate days, a rest day (defined as low intensity training or a true restday) and a load day (a day of high intensity training or competition). Timepoints arespecified in our easy-to-understand collection instructions.
Do I need to do anything special to prepare for the day of collection?
No. In fact, we recommend maintaining your common routines. The night before collection, re-read the instructions. Place a tube and a pen on your nightstand to collect your first saliva sample immediately after waking.
Can I drinkcoffee on the day of collection?
Not right away.You must collect yourtwomorning samples(within 30 minutes)beforehaving coffee or any other food or drink.
How close to collection time can I eat?
Avoidfood and drinks other than water for 30 minutesprior to collectingeachsample.
CanI brush my teeth before collecting?
For morning collections, do not brush your teeth before collecting. You can brush afterward.
How quickly should I collect each sample?
Each sample should be collected within aboutfive minutes.
How full does the tube need to be?
Fill eachsmalltube at least halfway.
I don’t produce much saliva. How can I make it easier?
Smelling food, yawning, or gently pressing your tongue against your teeth can help stimulatesalivaflow.
What if I wake up and forget to collect within 5 minutes?
Choose another day.Ontherest day, your first sample must be taken within five minutes ofwaking. If you miss that window,collectona different restday.
Imissed a timepoint. What should Ido?
Start again on another day.Rinse the tubes with hot water (no soap), let them air dry completely,andcollectall four samples on a new day.
How do I register my kit and submit samples?
You do not need to register your kit separately. After you’ve collected your samples and beforeshipping them to the lab, please complete the online sample submission form.Your sampleswillnotbe processed without the completed form.
ShouldI re-test?
Yes—especially if you’ve made changes to your training or recovery strategy.Re-testing after an8–12 week training blockallows you to see whether yourphysiology is adaptingas you intended.
Key References
- Miller R, et al. The CIRCORT database: Reference ranges and seasonal changes in diurnal salivary cortisol derived from a meta-dataset comprised of 15 field studies. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016.
- Anderson T, Wideman L. Exercise and the Cortisol Awakening Response: A Systematic Review. Sports Medicine. 2017.
- MacDonald D, Wetherell MA. Competition Stress Leads to a Blunting of the Cortisol Awakening Response in Elite Rowers. Front Psychol. 2019.
- Anderson T, et al. Examining Internal and External Physical Workloads Between Training and Competitive Matches Within Collegiate Division | Men's Soccer. J Strength Cond Res. 2021.
- Anderson T, et al. The impact of prior day sleep and physical activity on the cortisol awakening response. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021.
- Minetto MA, et al. Changes in awakening Cortisol response and midnight salivary Cortisol are sensitive markers of strenuous training-induced fatigue. J Endocrinol Invest. 2008.
- Anderson T, et al. The e-ect of acute exercise on the cortisol awakening response. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2023.
- Chellappa SL. "Individual di-erences in light sensitivity a-ect sleep and circadian rhythms", Sleep. 2021
- Petrowski K, et al. "The E-ects of Post-Awakening Light Exposure on the Cortisol Awakening Response in Healthy Male Individuals", Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2019
- Brown TM., et al. "Recommendations for Daytime, Evening, and Nighttime Indoor Light Exposure to Best Support Physiology, Sleep, and Wakefulness in Healthy Adults", , PLOS Biology. 2022
- Wilhelm 1, et al. "Is the Cortisol Awakening Rise a Response to Awakening?", Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2007
- Athanasiou N., Matos, N. "Endocrine Responses of the Stress System to Di-erent Types of Exercise", Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders. 2022
- Gavrieli A, et al. "Caffeinated Coffee Does Not Acutely Affect Energy Intake, Appetite, or Inflammation but Prevents Serum Cortisol Concentrations from Falling in Healthy Men", , The Journal of Nutrition. 2011
- Lovallo WR., et al. "Ca-eine Stimulation of Cortisol Secretion Across the Waking Hours in Relation to Ca-eine Intake Levels", Psychosomatic Medicine. 2005
- Chandrasekha K, et al. "A Prospective, Randomized Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Safety and Ecacy of a High-Concentration Full-Spectrum Extract of Ashwagandha Root in Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Adults", Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine. 2012
- Weakley J, et al. "Overtraining Syndrome Symptoms and Diagnosis in Athletes: Where Is the Research? A Systematic Review", International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2022
- Kreher JB, Schwartz, JB. "Overtraining Syndrome: A Practical Guide". , Sports Health. 2012
- Winsley R, Matos N. "Overtraining and Elite Young Athletes", Medicine and Sport Science. 2011
- Symons IK, et al. "Impact of Overtraining on Cognitive Function in Endurance Athletes: A Systematic Review", Sports Medicine. 2023