Salivary levels of immunoglobulin A in triathletes.

We investigated whether the physical exercise of an olympic distance triathlon affected the salivary IgA excretion of triathletes, as a biomarker for mucosal immune defence. 42 triathletes participated in the study. It was found that the salivary flow rate was decreased significantly after the race, thereby resulting in a significant reduction of the total salivary IgA output.