Basketball exercise and secretory immunoglobulin A.

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.