Wheelchair marathon creates a systemic anti-inflammatory environment in persons with spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate interleukin (IL)-6 and other inflammation markers in athletes with spinal cord injury (SCI) during a wheelchair marathon race.


METHODS
Nonrandomized study in an actual race.


METHODS
The 28th Oita International Wheelchair Marathon Race, Japan.


METHODS
Twenty-eight men with SCI between T7 and L2 (16 full-marathon racers, full-group; and 12 half-marathon racers, half-group).


METHODS
Plasma IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured the day before, immediately after the race, and 2 hours after the race.


RESULTS
Plasma IL-6 concentrations increased by 18.4-fold and by 9.4-fold (P < 0.05) in the full- and half-groups immediately after the race (P < 0.05), respectively, but returned to baseline at 2 hours of recovery. In contrast, plasma TNF-α and hsCRP did not change throughout the race in both groups. The fold change in plasma IL-6 immediately after the race relative to the prerace was significantly higher in the full-group than the half-group (P < 0.05). In both groups, plasma IL-6 immediately after the race did not correlate with the average wheelchair speed. Interestingly, plasma IL-6 and hsCRP before the race in the full-group, but not in half-group, correlated negatively with the average wheelchair speed (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The study demonstrated that half- and full-marathon wheelchair races increased plasma IL-6, but not TNF-α and hsCRP. Furthermore, the top athletes of the full-group had low plasma IL-6 and hsCRP at baseline. Wheelchair marathon competition, especially full-marathon, and daily training seem to have beneficial effects on SCI through the plasma IL-6 response.
*Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan; †Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Kibikogen Rehabilitation Center for Employment Injuries, Kibichuo-cho, Japan; and ‡Department of Orthopedics Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
Yusuke
Y
Sasaki
Kazunari
K
Furusawa
Fumihiro
F
Tajima
Takeshi
T
Nakamura
Ken
K
Kouda
Nami
N
Kanno
Takashi
T
Kawasaki
Yasunori
Y
Umemoto
Katuji
K
Shimizu
D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000517:prevention & control; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000097:blood*; D064846:Sports for Persons with Disabilities; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*; D014910:Wheelchairs
C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002097:C-Reactive Protein