title: The impact of a 17-day training period for an international championship on mucosal immune parameters in top-level basketball players and staff members.
abstract: This investigation examined the impact of a 17-d training period (that included basketball-specific training, sprints, intermittent running exercises, and weight training, prior to an international championship competition) on salivary immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels in 10 subjects (athletes and staff members) from a national basketball team, as a biomarker for mucosal immune defence. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected at rest at the beginning of the preparation for the Pan American Games and 1 d before the first game. The recovery interval from the last bout of exercise was 4 h. The SIgA level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and expressed as absolute concentrations, secretion rate, and SIgA level relative to total protein. The decrease in SIgA levels following training was greater in athletes than in support staff; however, no significant differences between the two groups were detected. A decrease in SIgA level, regardless of the method used to express IgA results, was verified for athletes. Only one episode of upper respiratory tract illness symptoms was reported, and it was not associated with changes in SIgA levels. In summary, a situation of combined stress for an important championship was found to decrease the level of SIgA-mediated immune protection at the mucosal surface in team members, with greater changes observed in the athletes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport, School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. alemoreira@usp.br
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arsati
authors.forename: Patrícia Ramos
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Cury
authors.forename: Clóvis
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Franciscon
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Vera Cavalcanti
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: de Araújo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001490:Basketball / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D014891:Weight Lifting / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007071:Immunoglobulin A, Secretory; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides