title: Changes in immune functions during a peaking period in male university soccer players.
abstract: The concept of peaking ensures that athletes have trained to attain their absolute peak performance levels prior to a competition. This study investigates the effects of peaking on the functions of neutrophils and lymphocytes in university soccer players during a five-day soccer training camp followed by two weeks of tapering. The study subjects were 22 soccer players who were members of a university soccer club. We carried out our investigation during a five-day training camp and two weeks after the training camp (i.e. the tapering period). We measured body composition, immune-related parameters (leukocyte count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, immunoglobulins and complements), myogenic enzymes, superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) and neutrophil functions [reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, phagocytic activity, serum opsonic activity and lymphocyte subtypes]. Leukocyte and neutrophil counts tend to increase after the training camp compared with values before the training camp, and recovered during the conditioning period, although the final values were still lower than those before the training camp. The amount of ROS production per neutrophil and level of SOD decreased significantly during the conditioning period compared with before the training camp (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively). Levels of Th1 cells decreased significantly during the conditioning period compared with the training camp (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the period of two weeks for the tapering period was considered insufficient to allow the athletes' immune function to recover completely after an intensive training camp.
authors: Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.
authors: Yuichi
authors: Y
authors: Ueno
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Umeda
authors: Ippei
authors: I
authors: Takahashi
authors: Kaori
authors: K
authors: Iwane
authors: Noriyuki
authors: N
authors: Okubo
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Kuroiwa
authors: Maki
authors: M
authors: Miyazawa
authors: Reiko
authors: R
authors: Osato
authors: Katsuro
authors: K
authors: Yoneda
authors: Shigeyuki
authors: S
authors: Nakaji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D014495:Universities; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: myogenic enzyme; neutrophil function; peaking; soccer; training camp