Immune parameters in athletes before and after strenuous exercise

Secretory IgA levels were studied in nationally ranked Nordic skiers before and after the national cross-country races held in February 1981. Comparing the skiers with age-matched controls, there was a significantly lower level of salivary IgA before the race. Concentrations of IgA decreased further following the competition (50 km for males; 20 km for females) to very low levels. There also were a significant increase in the percentage of B lymphocytes and a decrease in the null population (non-T, non-B) in the athletes after the race compared with the controls. The mechanism responsible for these changes is unknown, but the low salivary IgA levels may result from depletion of nasal fluid and/or malfunction of the mucosal plasma cells due to a decreased temperature in the mucous membranes. We speculated that a temporary antibody deficiency on the mucosal surface might lead to a susceptibility to acquiring viral and bacterial infections, especially during the interval immediately following strenuous exercise.