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Twelve weeks of soccer-specific training: effects on mucosal immunity, salivary alpha-amylase and body composition in male African youths

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An Erratum to this article was published on 18 March 2016

Abstract

Purpose

The primary aim of this study was to determine the levels of salivary secretory IgA (sIgA) and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) in young, black male soccer players, before and after 12 weeks of soccer-specific training.

Methods

Thirty-four children (11–13 years) who were part of a youth soccer development training academy, participated in the study. The participants underwent 12 weeks of soccer-specific training. Resting saliva samples were collected 48 h before the commencement, and 48 h after the completion, of the training program. Samples were taken between 07:30 and 08:30, 90 min after waking. Body fat percentage (BF %), lean body mass (LBM) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were also measured.

Results

Significant differences were found between pre- and post-training for body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05), waist-to-hip ratio (P < 0.05), height (P < 0.0001), BF % (P < 0.0001) and LBM (P < 0.0001). sIgA secretion rate increased significantly from pre- to post-training (P < 0.05) however, no significant differences were found in sAA concentration (P > 0.05), sAA secretion rate (P > 0.05) or sIgA concentration (P > 0.05). The magnitude of differences from pre- to post-training applying Cohen’s d effect sizes (ES) were moderate (>0.5) for estimated VO2max, sAA, sAA secretion rate, sIgA and sIgA secretion rate.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that, 12 weeks of soccer-specific training enhances mucosal immunity and body composition and may have an effect on the sympathetic nervous system in black, male youths.

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Abbreviations

BF %:

Body fat percentage

BMI:

Body mass index

BW:

Body weight

BF:

Body fat

CI:

Confidence intervals

CRF:

Cardiorespiratory fitness

CV:

Coefficients of variation

ES:

Effect sizes

LBM:

Lean body mass

PA:

Physical activity

Saa:

Salivary alpha-amylase

sIgA:

Salivary IgA

SNS:

Sympathetic nervous system

pIgR:

Polymeric immunoglobulin receptor

URTI:

Upper respiratory tract infection

VO2max :

Maximal aerobic capacity

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Miss Melissa Naidoo for her technical expertise and assistance with the salivary biomarker analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    Dorota E. Starzak & Andrew J. McKune

  2. Department of Human Performance, Minnesota State University, College of Allied Health and Nursing, Minnesota, USA

    Kristen F. Konkol

  3. Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health, UC-Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Bruce, Act, Australia

    Andrew J. McKune

Authors
  1. Dorota E. Starzak
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  2. Kristen F. Konkol
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  3. Andrew J. McKune
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dorota E. Starzak.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was funded by AM’s own research funding.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Starzak, D.E., Konkol, K.F. & McKune, A.J. Twelve weeks of soccer-specific training: effects on mucosal immunity, salivary alpha-amylase and body composition in male African youths. Sport Sci Health 12, 269–276 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-016-0263-3

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