Crystalloscopic characteristics of saliva in student-athletes with different levels of physical training

Abstract

The issue of using non-invasive methods for diagnosing human fitness remains an important topic in the fields of physical education and sports. Purpose: To investigate the features of crystallization and initiating properties of saliva among student-athletes and students who do not participate in sports. Materials and Methods: The study involved 86 participants from a university in the Volga Federal District. The participants were divided into two groups: Group 1 (n=42) consisted of students who did not engage in sports, and Group 2 (n=44) consisted of student-athletes who regularly trained in various university sports sections. Saliva samples were collected once. The activity of crystal formation and their excitatory potential in the saliva were assessed. Three categories of salivary indicators were distinguished in the picture of crystal formation: single crystals, polygonal forms, and amorphous structures. Quantitative coefficients Q and P were calculated. The degree of cellular density, element distribution uniformity, degree of pattern destruction signs, and the formation process of the micropreparation marginal zone were analyzed. The crystallogenic bioenvironment was assessed using static methods. Results: The study of saliva crystallization revealed statistically significant differences in the crystallogenic and stimulating properties between students with different attitudes towards regular sports. The test showed activation of the biological fluid stimulating ability and optimization of texture characteristics in combination with a decrease in pattern element destruction degree, as well as a moderate increase in the margin of the micropreparations' border in student-athletes compared to those who did not participate in sports. Conclusions: Regular sports activities contribute to the normalization of metabolic processes in the body, increasing the adaptive capacity and tolerance of the athlete to training loads. The method of crystalloscopic examination of saliva can be applied in physical education and sports to monitor human fitness and manage education and training processes.