Influence of carbohydrate ingestion on salivary immunoglobulin A following resistance exercise

Heavy exercise stresses immune function, however carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation has been shown to attenuate the decline in some measures of immune function after exercise. The purpose of the study was to investigate the impact of CHO supplementation on salivary immunoglobulin A (s-IgA) levels, interleukin 2 (IL-2), and interleukin 5 (IL-5), following an acute bout of resistance exercise (RE).

Ten resistance trained male collegiate athletes (21±2 yr; 174±6 cm, 80±11kg, 14%±4% fat) performed RE consisting of four exercises (leg press, lat pull-downs, bench press, and leg curls). Volunteers performed four sets of 10 repetitions at 65% of 1-RM, with 2 min rest between sets for all exercises. Subjects consumed either CHO beverage (1 g•kg-1 body weight) or placebo (P) prior to, during, and after RE (randomized, double blind design). Saliva and venous blood were collected pre-, post- and 90 min post-exercise.

No change occurred in s-IgA from rest relative to osmolality or as a secretion rate (p > 0.05). IL-2 levels were unchanged by exercise in both trials (time effect p = 0.342). IL-5 was significantly (time effect p = 0.04) decreased between rest (1.55 ± 0.07 pg•ml-1) and 90 min post-exercise (0.96 ± 0 .11 pg•ml-1), with no difference between treatments (group x time effect p = 0.610). There was no time-by-treatment interaction (p < 0.05) observed between CHO and P treatments for s-IgA or IL-5.

IL-5 decreases after RE, but s-IgA and IL-2 levels remain stable. CHO ingestion prior to-, during or following RE did not appear to alter salivary immune responses.