Upper respiratory tract symptoms and salivary immunoglobulin A of elite female gymnasts: a full year longitudinal field study

Jasmien Dumortier; Nicolette C. Bishop; Dirk Vogelaers; Jan Boone; Liesbeth Delesie; Els Tobback; An Mariman; Jan G. Bourgois

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2020.95639

eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X

Biology of Sport

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3/2020
vol. 37

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abstract:

Original paper

Upper respiratory tract symptoms and salivary immunoglobulin A of elite female gymnasts: a full year longitudinal field study

Jasmien Dumortier

¹

,

Nicolette C. Bishop

²

,

Dirk Vogelaers

³

,

Jan Boone

¹

,

Liesbeth Delesie

³

,

Els Tobback

³

,

An Mariman

³

,

Jan G. Bourgois

^{1, 4}

Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Belgium
School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, United Kingdom
Department of General Internal Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium
Centre of Sports Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium

Biol Sport. 2020;37(3):285–293

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2020.95639

Online publish date: 2020/06/16

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The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of upper respiratory tract symptoms (URS) in elite female gymnasts during a training season. In addition, we aimed to observe the extent to which salivary immunoglobulin A (sIgA) is associated with URS in these athletes, including potential effects of the season and timing of sample collection. Over one year, 18 elite female gymnasts completed URS and fatigue questionnaires weekly and provided 1 mL of saliva after a minimum 36 h of rest (morning or afternoon) to measure relative sIgA concentration (= mean absolute sIgA value of the week divided by the mean absolute sIgA value of the weeks without URS). Mean weekly URS and mean relative sIgA values per gymnast correlated negatively (r = -0.606, P = 0.022). Most URS were noted in the most fatigued gymnasts (7.4 ± 10.1 vs. 2.5 ± 5.6 (P < 0.001) for ‘normal’ and 2.1 ± 3.7 (P = 0.001) for ‘better than normal’ rested). In spring, relative sIgA was higher compared to autumn (112 ± 55 vs. 89 ± 41%, P < 0.001) and winter (92 ± 35%, P = 0.001), while during summer, relative sIgA appeared higher compared to autumn (110 ± 55 vs. 89 ± 41%, P = 0.016). The interaction effect with timing of sample collection showed higher relative sIgA values in morning samples in spring and summer compared to afternoon samples, with the inverse observed in autumn and winter (F = 3.565, P = 0.014). During a gymnastics season, lower relative sIgA values were linked to higher susceptibility to URS in elite gymnasts. However, relative sIgA values were influenced by season and timing of sample collection and thus should be considered when interpreting sIgA data.

keywords:

Upper respiratory tract symptoms and salivary immunoglobulin A of elite female gymnasts: a full year longitudinal field study

Jasmien Dumortier 1 , Nicolette C. Bishop 2 , Dirk Vogelaers 3 , Jan Boone 1 , Liesbeth Delesie 3 , Els Tobback 3 , An Mariman 3 , Jan G. Bourgois 1, 4

Artistic gymnastics, mucosal immune system, fitness, recovery, health

Jasmien Dumortier

¹

,

Nicolette C. Bishop

²

,

Dirk Vogelaers

³

,

Jan Boone

¹

,

Liesbeth Delesie

³

,

Els Tobback

³

,

An Mariman

³

,

Jan G. Bourgois

^{1, 4}