ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2017 March;57(3):214-8

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.16.06001-1

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Alpha-amylase serum levels in professional soccer players are not related with physical fitness

Fabian SANCHIS-GOMAR ¹, Rafael ALIS ^{2, 3}, Ermanno RAMPININI ⁴, Andrea BOSIO ⁴, Marco ROMAGNOLI ^{1, 5}, Giovanni LOMBARDI ⁶, Giuseppe LIPPI ⁷ ✉

¹ Research Institute Hospital 1, Madrid, Spain; ² Research Institute “Dr. Viña Giner”, Molecular and Mitochondrial Medicine, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain; ³ School of Medicine, Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain; ⁴ Human Performance Laboratory, MAPEI Sport Research Center, Olgiate Olona, Varese, Italy; ⁵ Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; ⁶ Laboratory of Experimental Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy; ⁷ Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, Academic Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy

BACKGORUND: Recent evidence has showed that serum or salivary values of α-amylase predict endurance running performance. In this study we investigate whether serum α-amylase concentration may be associated with training status during a competitive season and after a detraining period in professional soccer players.
METHODS: The study population consisted in 15 male professional soccer players from an Italian major league team (age [mean±SD] 27±5 years, weight 76.9±4.1 kg, height 1.82±0.05 m). Serum α-amylase levels were measured 3 times during the last part of a competitive season (January, March and May) and just before preseason training (July).
RESULTS: Metabolic and cardiovascular fitness of soccer players was improved during the last part of the season. The levels of α-amylase did not change significantly throughout the study period (χ2=7.331, P=0.062), nor they were found to be associated with variation of physical fitness and training status.
CONCLUSIONS: The α-amylase fluctuations throughout a competitive season and after vacation time were meaningless in professional soccer players. No significant associations with physical fitness variations could be observed. These results suggest that α-amylase concentration may be a useful parameter for identifying individual inclination to endurance exercise, but not for predicting actual training status.

KEY WORDS: Exercise - Glucose - Homeostasis