Training and natural immunity: effects of diets rich in fat or carbohydrate.
The purpose of the study was to investigate whether a carbohydrate-rich versus fat-rich diet influenced the effect of training on the immune system. Ten untrained young men ingested a carbohydrate-rich diet [65 energy percent (E%) carbohydrate] and ten subjects a fat-rich diet (62E% fat) while endurance training was performed 3-4 times a week for 7 weeks. Maximal oxygen uptake increased by 11% in both groups. Blood samples for immune monitoring were collected before and at the end of the study. Blood samples were also collected, in parallel, from 20 age-matched subjects, and data from these subjects were used to eliminate day-to-day variation in the immunological tests. Independently of diet, training increased the percentage of CD3-CD16+ CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells from [mean (SEM)] 14 (1) % to 20 (3) % (P = 0.05), whereas the NK-cell activity, either unstimulated or stimulated with interleukin (IL)-2 or interferon (IFN)-alpha, did not change. Furthermore, training did not influence the percentages of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+ or CD14+ cells. However, when the two diet groups were compared, it was found that the NK-cell activity had increased in the group on the carbohydrate-rich diet [from 16 (3)% to 27 (2)%] and decreased in the group on the fat-rich diet [from 26 (2)% to 20 (4)%] in response to training. The effect of training on unstimulated NK-cell activity was significantly different between the groups (P = 0.007). These data indicate that diet manipulation during training may influence natural immunity, and suggest that ingestion of a fat-rich diet during training is detrimental to the immune system compared to the effect of a carbohydrate-rich diet.
Pedersen
B K
BK
Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Department of Infectious Diseases M7721, Rigshospitalet, Denmark. bkp@rh.dk
Helge
J W
JW
Richter
E A
EA
Rohde
T
T
Kiens
B
B
D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000032:analysis
D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D017452:Receptors, IgG