DECREASED SALIVARY IMMUNOGLOBULINS AFTER INTENSE INTERVAL EXERCISE BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING

Endurance athletes have been shown to suffer a high incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Previous studies have shown that concentration and flow rate of secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), the m ajor effector of host resistance to URTI, decrease after intense endur ance exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sali vary IgA concentration and flow rate decrease after brief intense inte rval exercise, and whether the response to exercise changes with train ing. Twelve male subjects performed five 60-s bouts of supramaximal in terval exercise at 0.075 g.kg-1 body mass on a cycle ergometer; each b out was separated by 5-min rest. Subjects then trained for 8 wk by per forming the same interval exercise protocol three times per week. Time d, whole unstimulated saliva samples were obtained before and after th e interval exercise protocol, before and after training. Salivary IgA, IgG, and IgM concentrations were measured by ELISA and flow rates cal culated. IgA and IgM concentrations relative to total protein decrease d after each exercise session; IgG concentration relative to total pro tein did not change after exercise. IgA, IgM, and IgG flow rates decre ased 50-65% after interval exercise. There was no effect of training o n any immune parameter measured, although total work performed in the five 60-s bouts increased after training. These data show that the out put of salivary IgA and IgM decrease after brief supramaximal interval exercise. and that the decreased output is due, at least partially, t o the decrease in saliva flow. In addition, there appears to be a spec ific effect of intense exercise on IgA concentration greater than that due to decreased saliva flow alone. These data suggest that decreases in secretory IgA output after repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise may be one mechanism contributing to the high incidence of upper resp iratory tract infection among athletes.