Saliva diagnostics of skiers during competitions

Abstract

A necessary condition for achieving high athletic performance is the application of effective diagnostic methods to assess athletes' functional state. Purpose: To predict the recovery of skiers' bodies in running disciplines by studying the characteristics of saliva crystalloscopic properties during the competitive phase of sports activity. Materials and methods: The study involved 36 skiers, who comprised the main observation group (MG), and 165 healthy, untrained students (comparison group, CG). The age of participants in both groups ranged from 18 to 21 years (19.4 ± 0.9 years). Crystallogenic properties of saliva were assessed using classical crystalloscopy, while the initiating potential of the biological fluid was evaluated through comparative tesigraphy. Results. The study revealed distinctive features of saliva crystallization in athletes compared to healthy individuals. These included a predominance of branched (dendritic) structures, an increased proportion of amorphous bodies, and an expansion of the marginal zone, with the latter in athletes specifically characterized by the presence of fractures. In the post-competition period, saliva micropreparations showed a further increase in dendritic elements, accompanied by narrowing of the marginal belt and a reduction in the initiating potential of the biological environment. After a short rest (30 min), partial recovery of the crystallogenic and initiating properties of saliva was observed. Conclusions. These findings highlight the potential of this approach to non-invasively assess the rate of recovery of athletes' functional state after physical exertion and to promptly detect the onset of overtraining and maladaptation.