title: T-lymphocyte populations following a period of high volume training in female soccer players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the T-lymphocyte response to a period of increased training volume in trained females compared to habitual activity in female controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen trained female (19.8 ± 1.9 yrs) soccer players were monitored during a two-week long high volume training period (increased by 39%) and thirteen female untrained (20.5 ± 2.2 yrs) controls were monitored during two-weeks of habitual activity. Blood lymphocytes, collected at rest, were isolated before and after the two-week period. Isolated lymphocytes were assessed for the cell surface expression of the co-receptor CD28, a marker of T-lymphocyte naivety, and CD57 a marker used to identify highly-differentiated T-lymphocytes. Co-expression of these markers was identified on helper CD4(+) and cytotoxic CD8(+) T-lymphocytes. In addition a further population of γδ(+) T-lymphocytes were identified. Plasma was used to determine Cytomegalovirus (CMV) serostatus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No difference was observed in the T-lymphocyte populations following the two-week period of increased volume training. At baseline the number of total CD3(+), cytotoxic CD8(+), naïve (CD8(+) CD28(+) CD57(-)), intermediate (CD8(+) CD28(+) CD57(+)) T-lymphocytes and the number and proportion of γδ(+) T-lymphocytes were greater in the trained compared to the untrained females (p<0.05). The proportion of CD4(+)T-lymphocytes was greater in the untrained compared to the trained (p<0.05), in turn the CD4(+):CD8(+) ratio was also greater in the untrained females (p<0.05). Inclusion of percentage body fat as a covariate removed the main effect of training status in all T-lymphocyte sub-populations, with the exception of the γδ(+) T-lymphocyte population. 8% of the untrained group was defined as positive for CMV whereas 23% of the trained group was positive for CMV. However, CMV was not a significant covariate in the analysis of T-lymphocyte proportions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The period of high volume training had no effect on T-lymphocyte populations in trained females. However, baseline training status differences were evident between groups. This indicates that long-term exercise training, as opposed to short-term changes in exercise volume, appears to elicit discernible changes in the composition of the blood T-lymphocyte pool.
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: fb382@bath.ac.uk.
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Bigley
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: LaVoy
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S D R
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Galloway
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D018957:CD59 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018106:CD28 Antigens; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D018957:CD59 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; C051590:CD59 protein, human
keywords: CD4(+) T-lymphocytes; CD8(+) T-lymphocytes; CMV infection; Diet; Trained; Untrained; γδ(+) T-lymphocytes