title: The effects of altered exercise distribution on lymphocyte subpopulations.
abstract: The effects of exercise distribution on lymphocyte count, lymphocyte subpopulations and plasma cortisol concentration in peripheral blood were assessed in 19 healthy subjects. The subjects were randomly divided into group A (n = 10) or group B (n = 9) according to exercise distribution. Both groups underwent a 10-week programme involving 5 x 2-week blocks: baseline (B), training period 1 (TP1), stabilisation 1 (S1), training period 2 (TP2), and stabilisation 2 (S2). During B, S1 and S2 normal training was undertaken. During TP1 and TP2 the subjects increased the amount of training by 50% in week 1 and by 100% in week 2. During TP1 subjects in group A exercised 6 days.week-1, while during TP2 these subjects exercised on 3 alternate days.week-1, but doubled the duration of each training session. The subjects in group B reversed this training order. Blood was collected 36-42 h following exercise period B, and at the end of periods TP1, S1, TP2 and S2, and also 12-18 h following completion of exercise at the end of TP1 and TP2. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the 6 day.week-1 programme and the 3 alternate day.week-1 programme in total lymphocyte count, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, or CD19+ cells, the CD4:CD8 ratio, HLA-DR+ (activated) T cells or plasma cortisol concentrations. Following both TP1 and TP2 there was a nonsignificant decrease in lymphocyte subpopulations. However following both S1 and S2 (baseline training) there was a significant increase in total lymphocyte count, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes. The S2 variables statistically significant from B were: total lymphocyte count (P < 0.01), CD3+ T-cells and percentage of circulating lymphocytes (P < 0.01), CD4+ cells (P < or = 0.0001), CD8+ cells (P < 0.05), and HLA-DR+ (activated) T-cells (P < 0.05). The results indicated that provided the amount of exercise is constant for a given period, then exercise distribution is not a critical variable in the alteration of lymphocyte subpopulations that may occur in response to overload training. However 2 weeks of overload training followed by 2 weeks of active recovery (baseline) training may induce an increase in the lymphocyte count.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Sydney, Camperdown N.S.W., Australia.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Host
authors.forename: K I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Olds
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Mulligan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018941:Antigens, CD19 / Q000032:analysis; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D018941:Antigens, CD19; D017252:CD3 Complex; D006854:Hydrocortisone