ArticleClinical and experimental immunology1995
The effect on immunity of long-term intensive training in elite swimmers.
Article in Clinical and experimental immunology, 1995. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
56 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 219 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of exercise on markers of B cell-related immunity: A systematic review.Journal of sport and health science · 2024Pooled it
- Acute and chronic effects of physical exercise on IgA and IgG levels and susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology · 2022Pooled it
- Effects of exercise and training on natural killer cell counts and cytolytic activity: a meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 1999Pooled it
- Trial
- Impact of intensified training and carbohydrate supplementation on immunity and markers of overreaching in highly trained cyclists.European journal of applied physiology · 2016Trial
- Effect of chronic training on heart rate variability, salivary IgA and salivary alpha-amylase in elite swimmers with a disability.PloS one · 2015Trial
- Effects of moderate endurance exercise and training on in vitro lymphocyte proliferation, interleukin-2 (IL-2) production, and IL-2 receptor expression.European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology · 1996Trial
- Training, Immunity, and Health in Elite Kayaking: A Longitudinal Study Monitoring a World-Class Marathon Paddler with Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Influence of Acute and Chronic Load on Perceived Wellbeing, Neuromuscular Performance, and Immune Function in Male Professional Football Players.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- ORASPORT study protocol: a prospective observational study on the impact of endurance physical activity on oral microbiology and immunology.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Article
- Article
- Microbial bowel infections-induced biochemical and biological abnormalities and their effects on young Egyptian swimmers.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Supply of Antioxidants vs. Recruit Firefighters' Cellular Immune Status: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Parallel-Group Trial.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- The Effects of Physical Exercise on Saliva Composition: A Comprehensive Review.Dentistry journal · 2022Review
- Exercise Cuts Both Ways with ROS in Remodifying Innate and Adaptive Responses: Rewiring the Redox Mechanism of the Immune System during Exercise.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Review
- Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): Shared Pathways, Symptoms and Complexities.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2021Review
- Effect of Seasonal Variation during Annual Cyclist Training on Somatic Function, White Blood Cells Composition, Immunological System, Selected Hormones and Their Interaction with Irisin.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
- Long-term physical training in adolescent sprint and middle distance swimmers alters the composition of circulating T and NK cells which correlates with soluble ICAM-1 serum concentrations.European journal of applied physiology · 2021Article
- Marine phytoplankton improves recovery and sustains immune function in humans and lowers proinflammatory immunoregulatory cytokines in a rat model.Physical activity and nutrition · 2021Article
- The Impact of Acute and Chronic Exercise on Immunoglobulins and Cytokines in Elderly: Insights From a Critical Review of the Literature.Frontiers in immunology · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The impact of long-term training on systemic and mucosal immunity was assessed prospectively in a cohort of elite swimmers over a 7-month training season in preparation for national championships. The results indicated significant suppression (P < 0.05) of serum IgA, IgG and IgM and salivary IgA concentration in athletes associated with long-term training at an intensive level. There was also a trend towards lower IgG2 subclass levels in serum in athletes compared with controls (P = 0.07). There were no significant changes in numbers or percentages of B or T cell subsets, but there was a significant fall in natural killer (NK) cell numbers and percentages in athletes over the training season (P < 0.05). After individual training sessions there was a significant decrease in salivary IgA levels for athletes compared with controls (P = 0.002). In athletes there was a downward trend in salivary IgA levels over the 7-month training period in both the pre-exercise (P = 0.06) and post-exercise samples (P = 0.04). There were no significant trends in salivary IgG levels over the study period in either athletes or controls. The only significant change in salivary IgM levels was an increase in detection rate in the pre-competition phase in athletes (P = 0.03). The study suggests that training of elite athletes at an intensive level over both short- and long-time frames suppresses both systemic and mucosal immunity. Protracted immune suppression linked with prolonged training may determine susceptibility to infection, particularly at times of major competitions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.