Interaction of physical contact level and team modality in modulating serum immunoglobulin A concentration in elite athletes: a cross-sectional study

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Serum immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration is an important yet controversial marker of immune status in athletes. Data on its concentration the off-season and the influence of factors such as the level of physical contact and the individual/team nature of the sport are scarce.

AIM: To evaluate the combined effect of the level of physical contact (contact vs low-contact) and sport modality (individual vs team) on serum IgA concentration in elite athletes during the off-season period.

METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted using anonymized data from 12,317 Russian national team athletes in boxing, tennis, basketball, and volleyball from 2012–2020. Groups were formed using a 2×2 factorial design: "contact" (boxing, basketball) vs "low-contact" (tennis, volleyball) and "individual" (boxing, tennis) vs "team" (basketball, volleyball) modality.

RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in the median serum IgA concentrations, with all values remaining within the reference range. Athletes in contact sports (basketball: 1.81 g/L; boxing: 1.72 g/L) had significantly higher IgA levels than athletes in low-contact disciplines (volleyball: 1.57 g/L; tennis: 1.55 g/L). The factor analysis mathematically confirmed the existence of two independent constructs differentiated on the basis of physical contact. No significant effect of sport modality (individual/team) or factor interaction was observed.

CONCLUSION: In the inter-competitive phase, the degree of physical contact acts as a key determinant modulating basal serum IgA within physiological limits, with elevated concentrations observed in contact sport athletes. The practical significance of these findings lies in the necessity of a sport-specific approach to immunological monitoring: the lower bound of the reference range considered normal for low-contact disciplines may be inadequate for athletes practicing contact-intensive sports.

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About the authors

Natalia M. Buyanova

The Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov

Email: dpo.mkramn@inbox.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4073-475X
SPIN-code: 2806-6159
Russian Federation, Moscow

Anatoly G. Kochetov

The Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov

Author for correspondence.
Email: kochetov.lab@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3632-291X
SPIN-code: 3370-2093

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

Sergey P. Alpatov

The Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov

Email: immunosport@rambler.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2233-7301
SPIN-code: 2609-0174

MD, Cand. Sci. (Medicine)

Russian Federation, Moscow

Boris K. Romanov

The Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov

Email: romanov_bk@rsmu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5429-9528
SPIN-code: 8453-9166

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Associate Professor

Russian Federation, Moscow

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Sequence of forming the study sample.

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3. Fig. 2. Concentration of serum immunoglobulin A in athletes by sports included in the study.

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4. Fig. 3. Gender distribution of the concentration of serum immunoglobulin A in athletes by sports included in the study.

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