The resting salivary antimicrobial proteins and cortisol concentration in wrestlers during 12-week training

Study aim: the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 12-week training on saliva immunoendocrine response in collegiate male and female wrestlers.

Material and methods: the control group was composed of men and women of the same age, not engaged in any sports activity except for physical education classes at the university. The examined athletes participated in a 12-week training program, which consisted of two sub-phases (preparatory period and competitive period). Saliva samples were collected at three time points: at the beginning (the first point), after six weeks of the preparatory period (the second point, which was the start of the competitive period) and after six weeks of the competitive period (the third point). Immunoglobulin A and cortisol concentration, and α-amylase activity were measured in saliva by respective ELISA kits. Immunoglobulin A was expressed as relative to total protein concentration (sIgA/total protein).

Results: at the third time point, the sIgA/total protein ratio was significantly lower in female compared to male athletes. α-Amylase activity was lower in all examined athletes at all three time points compared to respective control groups.

Conclusions: hormonal and mucosal antimicrobial system response can provide helpful information of body adaptive processes to physical strain as well as indicators of magnitude of training-induced stress.