title: Cytokine response to strenuous exercise in athletes and non-athletes--an adaptive response.
abstract: Exercise and physical strenuous activity have been demonstrated to increase the serum TNF-alpha and IL-6. Regular physical training is expected to attenuate such a response. This study was undertaken to understand the impact of regular exercise training on IL-6 and TNF-alpha in athletes and non-athletes. Ten athletes, who have been on regular training for the past 6 months, and 10 age- and sex-matched subjects (non-athlete group) who had no practice of regular exercise, were recruited. Both were subjected to undergo the same frequency level of strenuous exercise. Blood samples were collected; one before strenuous exercise and the other after the exercise. Plasma cytokines, IL-6 and TNF-alpha, were estimated using Sandwich ELISA method. All participants in the study were male with the athletes' age being 18.00+/-1.3years (mean+/-SD) and the non-athletes were aged 20.00+/-0.6years (mean+/-SD). Majority of the athletes and non-athletes demonstrated a rise in IL-6 and a fall in TNF-alpha levels. Further, the athletes showed a lesser magnitude of change in the cytokine levels following a longer duration of exercise than non-athletes. Athletes appear to have an attenuated cytokine response. Regular physical training has been demonstrated to attenuate the immune response to exercise in either direction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, MS Ramiah Medical College, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gokhale
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chandrashekara
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Vasanthakumar
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha