The effect of endurance exercise on alpha amylase, PH and cortisol level of saliva

Abstract Background and Aim: Exercise is one of the activities to achieve fitness; therefore it should be performed in an appropriate way and its side effects should be minimized. It has been mentioned in the literature that in physiologic activities, there are important factors in the serum and saliva which have a significant role in dental and oral health, especially on dental caries. In this study, we decided to figure out how these oral health related factors are altered in endurance exercise. Materials and Methods: In this study, the samples included nineteen 18 to 25-year-old beginner male athletes. Two samples of saliva were taken, one before running for control and one after 1000 meters for test. Salivary pH was digitally measured imme-diately after collecting the samples. Cortisol and alpha amylase of the saliva in both control and test samples were evaluated by ELISA method. Data were analyzed with SPSS software and evaluated with descriptive statistical methods. Results: Endurance exercise in beginner athletes increased the mean alpha amylase level in their saliva from 59.57 to 107.52 IU/mL and the salivary cortisol from 2.73 to 3.60 Ng/mL. The mean salivary pH showed a 0.56 decrease (p < .001). Conclusion: There was an increase in the salivary cortisol and alpha amylase level and a decrease in salivary pH after endurance exercise. Key Words: Cortisol - Alpha amylase – Salivary pH