title: Cytokine changes after a marathon race.
abstract: The influence of carbohydrate (1 l/h of a 6% carbohydrate beverage), gender, and age on pro- and anti-inflammatory plasma cytokine and hormone changes was studied in 98 runners for 1.5 h after two competitive marathon races. The marathoner runners were randomly assigned to carbohydrate (C, n = 48) and placebo (P, n = 50) groups, with beverages administered during the races in a double-blind fashion using color codes. Plasma glucose was higher and cortisol was lower in the C than in the P group after the race (P < 0.001). For all subjects combined, plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-10, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-6, and IL-8 rose significantly immediately after the race and remained above prerace levels 1.5 h later. The pattern of change in all cytokines did not differ significantly between the 12 women and 86 men in the study and the 23 subjects > or =50 yr of age and the 75 subjects <50 yr of age. The pattern of change in IL-10, IL-1ra, and IL-8, but not IL-6, differed significantly between the C and the P group, with higher postrace values measured for IL-10 (109% higher) and IL-1ra (212%) in the P group and for IL-8 (42%) in the C group. In conclusion, plasma levels of IL-10, IL-1ra, IL-6, and IL-8 rose strongly in runners after a competitive marathon, and this was not influenced by age or gender. Carbohydrate ingestion, however, had a major effect in attenuating increases in cortisol and two anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and IL-1ra.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina 28608, USA. niemandc@appstate.edu
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Henson
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Utter
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Vinci
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kaminsky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shute
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001628:Beverages; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D006854:Hydrocortisone