Changes in saliva composition during different training phases in professional football players

This study investigated changes in salivary biomarkers collected by oral rinsing during different phases of a standard professional football training, and how these changes correlated with perceived training intensity.

This study included 28 professional football players. Saliva was collected by means of oral rinse with water. It was collected at three time-points during a single training session: before training, after warming-up, and after outdoor training. Players were asked to self-report the intensity of the training after each time-point on a scale from 1 to 10. The following biomarkers were measured: protein, carbohydrate and immunoglobulin-A (IgA) concentrations, and enzymatic activity of α-amylase, lactoperoxidase and lysozyme.

Protein concentration increased during training (p < 0.001). α-Amylase activity/protein ratio (p < 0.001) increased while the IgA/protein ratio(p < 0.001) and carbohydrates/protein ratio (p = 0.001) significantly decreased. No association was found between the self-perceived intensity of training and changes in the biomarkers.

This study shows that saliva composition changes in response to a regular football training session. These changes did not correlate with self-perceived intensity of training.