Summary
This study examined saliva levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) before and after three games and three practice sessions during the basketball season. Saliva was collected from 27 prepubescent boys (10–12 years) in a small Fry league and 23 postpubescent boys (16–18 years) on a high school varsity team. Saliva samples were frozen for later assay using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. IgA levels were significantly increased after games 1 and 3 in both age groups and after practice 3 in the high school athletes. Over the 2 months of saliva collections the pre-exercise IgA increased significantly with games 2 and 3 higher than game 1, and practice 3 higher than practices 1 and 2, in both age groups. These results indicate that basketball exercise can increase saliva IgA levels and that chronic exercise over the basketball season may increase the resting levels of IgA. These changes may give athletes more protection against respiratory infections both after exercise and in the resting state later in the season.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Douglas D, Hanson P (1978) Upper respiratory infections in the conditioned athlete. Med Sci Sports 10:55
Engvall E (1980) Enzyme immunoassay ELISA and EMIT. Methods Enzymol 70:419–438
Hanley D (1976) Medical care of the US Olympic team. JAMA 236:147–148
Liew F, Russell S (1984) Cross-protection in mice infected with influenza A virus by the respiratory route is correlated with local IgA antibody rather than serum antibody or cytotoxic T cell reactivity. Eur J Immunol 14:350–356
Mackinnon L, Chick T, van As A, Tomasi T (1987) The effect of exercise on secretory and natural immunity. Adv Exp Med Biol 216A:869–876
McClelland D, Floor E, Davidson R, Saron C (1980) Stressed power motivation, sympathetic activation, immune function, and illness. J Hum Stress 6:11–19
McClelland D, Alexander C, Marks E (1982) The need for power, stress, immune function and illness amoung male prisoners. J Abnorm Psychol 91:61–70
Peters E, Bateman E (1983) Ultramarathon running and upper respiratory tract infections: an epidemiological survey. S Afr Med J 64:582–584
Rossen R, Butler W, Waldman R, Alford R, Hornick R, Togo Y, Kasel J (1970) The protein in nasal secretions. JAMA 211:1157–1161
Tharp G, Barnes M (1990) Reduction of saliva immunoglobulin levels by swim training. Eur J Appl Physiol 60:61–64
Tomasi T, Trudeau F, Czerinski D, Erredge S (1982) Immune parameters in athletes before and after strenuous exercise. J Clin Immunol 2:173–178
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Tharp, G.D. Basketball exercise and secretory immunoglobulin A. Eur J Appl Physiol 63, 312–314 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233868
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00233868