title: Markers of biological stress and mucosal immunity during a week leading to competition in adolescent swimmers.
abstract: In this study we examined changes in the salivary concentrations of immunoglobulin A (sIgA), cortisol (sC), testosterone (sT), and testosterone-to-cortisol ratio (T/C) in 21 competitive swimmers, 11-15 years old, during a week leading to competition as compared to a control (noncompetition) week. No day-to-day changes or significant differences between weeks were observed for sIgA (47.9 ± 4.4 versus 54.9 ± 5.2 μg/mL for control versus competition week, resp.), sC (2.7 ± 0.2 versus 2.5 ± 0.2 ng/mL for control versus competition week, resp.), and T/C ratio (83.4 ± 7.0 versus 77.9 ± 7.7 for control versus competition week, resp.). In contrast, sT was significantly lower during the week of competition (154.5 ± 11.3 pg/mL) as compared to the control week (181.3 ± 11.5 pg/mL) suggesting that the swimmers were in a catabolic state, although this did not have a negative effect on their performance. In conclusion, salivary cortisol did not change between the two weeks, and thus competition stress was relatively low, and mucosal immunity was unaffected in these young athletes prior to competition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Centre for Neuroscience, Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4L8.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Timmons
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, ON, Canada L2S 3A1.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Klentrou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D056352:Athletes; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012463:Saliva / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006728:Hormones