Running economy and cytokines: what the influence of IL-6 and IL-10?

Introduction: During the exercise performing the muscle produce cytokines, named “myokines”. These molecules show autocrine, paracrine and endocrine effects. One of them IL-6 demonstrates both pro and anti-inflammatory actions. Usually they have an anti-inflammatory action when produced by working muscles and when produced by other tissues, especially adipose, they assume a pro-inflammatory profile. Athletes´ performance, especially those that run long distances races (endurance) is associated with higher levels of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Running economy (RE) is a methodology used to evaluate the performance of runners and is defined as the rate of oxygen consumption (VO2) required for maintain a specific speed . RE is determined by the energy cost of running (Cr), which is the energy required to transport body mass in a specific running speed (km/h). Despite some studies demonstrated the importance of RE in a performance of athletes, there is no studies relating running economy and cytokines. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between cytokine profile and running economy. Subjects: Twenty-two male recreational runners living in the city of São Paulo were recruited for the study that had been approved by the UNIFESP-EPM Ethics Committee. None of the participants were using lipid-lowering medications, no smokers, addicted to alcohol consumption, obese or had systemic arterial hypertension, neither liver, renal, metabolic, inflammatory or neoplastic diseases. Methods: Blood sample was collected at rest. Blood draw for all the individuals was performed after 12 hours of fasting. IL-6 and IL-10 were measured by ELISA in serum. Statistics: Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to identify a correlation between Running Economy (RE) and cytokine levels. The significance level was set to 5% (p \u3c 0.05). Results and Discussion: In the group of athletes studied we found that a significant correlation between RE and IL-6 (figure 1A), showing that runners with better RE presented decreased IL-6 levels. However, no correlation was observed in relation to IL-10 levels and RE (Figure 1B). Previously we demonstrated that pro-inflammatory cytokines influences negatively the VO2max that is used to calculate the aerobic capacity. So, we assumed that athletes with more time and volume of training would have lower levels of IL-6 which in our results is associated to greater RE. However, we couldn´t find any correlation between these parameters

Exercise influence on immune response

ABSTRACT The study of the influence of exercise on immune response is a field in constant grow since the 1970s. The main areas studied are infection of upper respiratory airways in athletes submitted to extenuating exercises, the exercise as a model of stress and the effects of training as an adaptive mechanism to cope with stress. Exercise promotes an imbalance in organic homeostasis, and all of the systems, including the immune system, must adequate their function to this new situation. The responses to exercise can be expressed as acute response, a transitory response to stress and chronic adaptive response, when training provides better conditions for the organism to cope with stress. In both situations the components of the immune system, the cellular and humoral arms of the innate and adaptive systems, are affected by exercise. Not as a rule, one can say that moderate exercise is associated with a better function of the immune system and high intensity exercise in stressful situations is associated with a transitory state of immunodepression.RESUMO O estudo da relação entre o exercício e a resposta imune teve grande impulso a partir da metade da década de 70, tendo como principais áreas de interesse o estudo da infecção de vias aéreas superiores em atletas submetidos a grandes esforços, o exercício como modelo de estresse e a resposta do treinamento como resposta adaptativa frente a situações de estresse. A descrição da interação entre os sistemas imune e neuroendócrino foi de importância capital no desenvolvimento desses estudos. O exercício gerando um desvio da homeostase orgânica leva à reorganização das respostas de diversos sistemas, entre eles o sistema imune. É adequado dividir a resposta ao exercício em resposta aguda, resposta transitória ao estresse e resposta de adaptação crônica, na qual o treinamento capacita o organismo a lidar com o estímulo estressante de maneira mais adequada. Ambas as respostas afetam os diversos componentes do sistema imune, tanto a resposta inata em seu componente celular compreendendo neutrófilos, macrófagos e células natural killer, como em seu componente humoral, proteínas de fase aguda, sistema do complemento e enzimas, como o sistema imune adaptativo, em seu componente celular (linfócitos T e B), como no componente humoral (anticorpos e citocinas). Apesar das incorreções que cometemos quando das generalizações, podemos dizer que, de modo geral, o exercício de intensidade moderada, praticado com regularidade, melhora a capacidade de resposta do sistema imune, enquanto o exercício de alta intensidade praticado sob condições estressantes provoca um estado transitório de imunodepressão.Universidade de São Paulo Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas Departamento de HistologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM) Disciplina de ImunologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Disciplina de ImunologiaSciEL

Auto anti oxLDL, IgM and IgG: comparison between sedentary and athletes

Introduction: The practice of regular physical activity contributes to reduce the prevalence of coronary hearth disease (CHD) and aerobic exercises are associated with beneficial changes in the profile of circulating lipids and lipoproteins. However in the past years the oxidative hypothesis assumed great importance in the pathogenesis of CHD. During exhaustive exercises there is a greater possibility of oxidation of LDL, forming oxidized LDL (oxLDL) that has a key role in atherogenesis. However the incidence of coronary events in athletes is lower than in sedentary persons. It is described in the literature that we can found in serum auto autoantibodies anti-oxLDL, of the isotypes IgG and IgM. The former involved with atherogenesis and the latter with an atheroprotective function. The aim of this study was to verify if there are differences in the prevalence of the different autoantibodies between athletes and sedentary persons. Methods: Twenty male recreational runners and twenty male sedentary individuals living in the city of São Paulo were recruited for the study. Both the study protocol and consent form had been approved by the UNIFESP-EPM Ethics Committee. None of the participants were using lipid-lowering medications, no smokers, addicted to alcohol consumption, obese or had systemic arterial hypertension, neither liver, renal, metabolic, inflammatory or neoplastic diseases. Blood sample were collected at rest. Blood draws for all the individuals were performed after 12 hours of fasting. IgM and IgG anti ox LDL specific reactivity in serum, were measured by ELISA using previously stored serum. Student’s t-test was used to analyze differences in age and body mass index (BMI). The Mann-Whitney test was used to determine if the differences between the results for sedentary individuals and those for runners at rest were significant. Results: We found that at rest the group of athletes studied showed a statistically higher concentration of IgM autoantibodies against ox-LDL than controls (figure 1 a). At the same time, IgG autoantibodies anti ox-LDL presented the same concentration in controls and athletes (Figure 1 b). Conclusion: This finding is of extreme importance when we consider the prevalence of CHD in those different populations and the opposite actions of these two isotypes of antibodies

O Conflito Político. Alguns Aspectos da sua Modelação

Objective: Sports practice alters the homeostasis of athletes. To achieve homeostatic equilibrium, the integrated action of the neuroendocrine and immune systems is necessary. Here we studied the relation between cytokines, hormones and mood states in marathon runners. Methods: A total of 20 male recreational marathon runners (mean age = 35.7 ± 9 years) and 20 male sedentary individuals (mean age = 35.5 ± 7 years) were recruited. We compared the serum levels of growth hormone (GH), cortisol and interleukins 8 and 10 and the amounts of these two cytokines spontaneously produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Blood samples of the sedentary group were collected at rest. Blood from the marathon runners was collected at rest (baseline: 24 h before the race), immediately after a marathon and 72 h after a marathon. Mood state analysis in both groups was performed using the 24-item Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS). Results: Our results showed that, at rest, levels of interleukins 8 and 10 in the supernatant of culture cells, the serum concentration of GH, and tension and vigour (evaluated using the BRUMS), were significantly higher in athletes compared to sedentary people. Immediately after the race all serum parameters analysed were statistically higher than baseline values. At 72 h after the marathon, serum levels of hormones and interleukins returned to values at rest, but the concentrations of interleukins in the supernatant of culture cells showed a significant reduction compared to values at rest. Conclusion: The higher serum levels of GH in athletes at rest and the higher production of cytokines in culture without previous stimulus suggest that marathon runners present mechanisms that may be associated with preparing the body to perform prolonged strenuous exercise, such as a marathon

Fibromyalgia: description of the syndrome in athletes and its implications

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a very common feature in the daily practice of rheumatologists. Therapy is based on the use of analgesics, anti-depressants, and other drugs. Many physicians indicate exercise, stretching, and relaxing programs as adjuvant therapies. It was surprising to find fibromyalgia in well-trained athletes. The syndrome, however, appears in athletes that reported recurrent tendon-muscle lesions. In this study, the authors analyzed a group of gymnastics and track and field athletes involved in competitive training. They found a significant incidence of the syndrome (7 in 20 subjects) in this group. This is an important finding, since fibromyalgia causes muscular pain and stiffness, and can predispose the athletes to muscle lesions and damage. Another important point regarding the syndrome is that some of its symptoms are related to overtraining and to the chronic fatigue syndrome. Therefore, the authors suggest that there is an important connection between those aspects.A fibromialgia é uma patologia de alta prevalência na população geral, cujo tratamento é feito por meio de medicamentos como antiinflamatórios, antidepressivos e miorrelaxantes, que pode ser complementado por medidas físicas como relaxamento, alongamento e exercícios físicos. A observação de fibromialgia entre atletas constatada em exames de rotina, em especial naqueles que apresentavam lesões musculares de repetição, levou os autores a pesquisar, de maneira prospectiva, um grupo de atletas praticantes de ginástica olímpica e atletismo, nos quais puderam confirmar alta incidência desta síndrome. Como a fibromialgia predispõe ao aparecimento de lesões por contratura muscular, sugerem que ela possa atuar como um mecanismo de indução ao surgimento de lesões musculares de repetição. Ainda devido às semelhanças dos sintomas encontrados na síndrome do supertreinamento, síndrome da fadiga crônica e fibromialgia, propõem uma possível ligação entre estes quadros.UNIFESP-EPMPMSP COTPUNIFESP-EPM Departamento de FisiologiaUSP Departamento de HistologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de FisiologiaSciEL

Relation between TNF-alpha and exercise induced bronchoconstriction

Introduction: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) describes an acute airway narrowing that occurs as a result of exercise. EIB is associated with a hyperosmolar environment that lead to airway smooth muscle contraction. The proinflammatory cytokine, TNF-alpha, has a prominent role in the development of airway hiperresponsiveness (AHR). A single bout of heavy exercise can trigger EIB. The aim of this research was to compare the response of TNF-alpha over time with the presence or absence of EIB in marathon runners. Methods: Thirty-eight male runners, who did not have any chronic or acute airway disease, performed maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill coupled to the gas analyzer (FitMate ™, Cosmed, Italy). Was used a ramp protocol with fixed slope of 1% and an increase of load (1km/h) every minute. Spirometry was performed before (pre), immediately after, five, ten, fifteen and twenty minutes after exercise stress testing. Were considered positive for BIE those athletes that presented a decrease in expiratory volume in one second greater than 10% in any of the spirometric tests. Blood samples were obtained the day before the marathon, immediately and after 72 hours after the race. Cytokines were determined in serum by ELISA. Was used analysis of variance (ANOVA) with two factors, group and time of blood collection, considering repeated measures on the time factor. In the case of statistical significance for interaction group and blood was concluded that the behavior over time was significantly different between EIB negative (-) and EIB positive (+), in this case applied the method of Tukey\u27s multiple comparisons to determine the moment that occurred these differences (p\u3c0.05). Results: We observed a statistically significant difference (p=0.048) in the behavior of the concentration of TNF-alpha between groups EIB- and EIB+. The measure pre of the EIB+ have an higher concentration of TNF-alpha compared to those obtained immediately after the marathon for EIB+ and the results obtained at the three moments for EIB-. (Figure 1). Conclusion: Our results suggests that an inflammatory status in serum of the marathon runners presenting BIE, before the race may be associated with bronchoconstriction triggering

Influence of body mass index, body fat percentage and age at menarche on aerobic capacity (VO2 max) of elementary school female students

PURPOSE:To identify and relate body fat percentage (skin fold measures), body mass index (BMI) and age at menarcheto aerobic capacity using the indirect VO2 maximum value (VO2 max) of girls in the second cycle of primary school.METHODS:A total of 197 girls aged 13.0±1.2 years on average, students from two public schools in the city of Atibaia in São Paulo, were evaluated. Anthropometric evaluation of skin folds was performed using the Slaughter protocol for teenage girls, and BMI (kg/m2) was based on Z score (graphic of percentile) according to WHO recommendations. The Léger protocol was used to determine VO2 max. Pearson linear regression and the Student t-test were used for statistical analysis.RESULTS:22.3% of the girls were overweight and 3.5% were obese according to the classification proposed by the WHO; 140 (71.1%) girls reported menarche. The average age at menarche was 12.0±1.0 years and was significantly higher in the group with normal BMI (12.2±0.9 years) than in the overweight or obese groups (11.6±1.0 years). The average indirect VO2 max value was 39.6±3.7 mL/kg/min, ranging from 30.3 to 50.5 mL/kg/min. The advance of chronological age and early age at menarche were positively correlated with lower VO2 max values.CONCLUSIONS:This study showed that 25.8% of the girls had aBMI value above WHO recommendations. Girls with higher BMI and higher body fat percentage had lower VO2 max. The earlier age at menarche and the advance of chronological age were the most important factors for the reduction of aerobic capacity. The ageat menarche was higher in girls with adequate BMI compared tooverweight or obese girls.OBJETIVO:Identificar e relacionar a composição corporal, baseada na porcentagem de gordura corporal e o índice de massa corpórea (IMC), e a idade da menarca, com a capacidade aeróbia, utilizando-se os valores de VO2 máximo indireto, de estudantes do segundo ciclo do ensino fundamental.MÉTODOS:Foram avaliadas 197 meninas com média de idade de 13,0±1,2 anos, estudantes de duas escolas estaduais de Atibaia-SP. Para estimar a porcentagem de gordura corporal, foi realizada uma avaliação de dobras cutâneas utilizando-se o protocolo de Slaughter para meninas adolescentes. Já o índice de massa corpórea (IMC), medido em quilogramas por metro quadrado (kg/m2), seguiu as recomendações da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Para a avaliação aeróbia, foi utilizado o teste de corrida proposto por Léger, determinando o volume de oxigênio máximo de forma indireta (VO2 máx). Para a análise estatística, foi utilizada a regressão linear de Pearson, o teste t de Student e a análise multivariada.RESULTADOS:22,3% das meninas apresentaram sobrepeso e 3,5% obesidade, de acordo com o IMC. Na amostra estudada, 140 (71,1%) adolescentes relataram a ocorrência de menarca. A média de idade da menarca foi de 12,0±1,0 anos. A média de idade de menarca para o grupo com IMC normal foi significativamente maior (12,2±0,9 anos) do que nas estudantes com sobrepeso ou obesidade (11,6±1,0 anos). A média do VO2 máx indireto foi de 39,6±3,7 mL/kg/min, variando de 30,3 a 50,5 mL/kg/min. O avanço da idade cronológica e a precocidade da menarca correlacionaram-se positivamente com os menores valores de VO2 máx.CONCLUSÕES:Meninas com maiores valores de IMC e percentual de gordura corporal apresentaram menores valores de VO2 máx. A precocidade da menarca e o avanço da idade cronológica foram os fatores mais importantes para a redução da capacidade aeróbia. A idade da menarca foi mais elevada em meninas com IMC adequado quando comparadas com as meninas com sobrepeso ou obesidade.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de GinecologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Departamento de OtorrinolaringologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de GinecologiaUNIFESP, EPM, Depto. de OtorrinolaringologiaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Probiotics.

Position statement: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) provides an objective and critical review of the mechanisms and use of probiotic supplementation to optimize the health, performance, and recovery of athletes. Based on the current available literature, the conclusions of the ISSN are as follows: 1)Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/WHO).2)Probiotic administration has been linked to a multitude of health benefits, with gut and immune health being the most researched applications.3)Despite the existence of shared, core mechanisms for probiotic function, health benefits of probiotics are strain- and dose-dependent.4)Athletes have varying gut microbiota compositions that appear to reflect the activity level of the host in comparison to sedentary people, with the differences linked primarily to the volume of exercise and amount of protein consumption. Whether differences in gut microbiota composition affect probiotic efficacy is unknown.5)The main function of the gut is to digest food and absorb nutrients. In athletic populations, certain probiotics strains can increase absorption of key nutrients such as amino acids from protein, and affect the pharmacology and physiological properties of multiple food components.6)Immune depression in athletes worsens with excessive training load, psychological stress, disturbed sleep, and environmental extremes, all of which can contribute to an increased risk of respiratory tract infections. In certain situations, including exposure to crowds, foreign travel and poor hygiene at home, and training or competition venues, athletes' exposure to pathogens may be elevated leading to increased rates of infections. Approximately 70% of the immune system is located in the gut and probiotic supplementation has been shown to promote a healthy immune response. In an athletic population, specific probiotic strains can reduce the number of episodes, severity and duration of upper respiratory tract infections.7)Intense, prolonged exercise, especially in the heat, has been shown to increase gut permeability which potentially can result in systemic toxemia. Specific probiotic strains can improve the integrity of the gut-barrier function in athletes.8)Administration of selected anti-inflammatory probiotic strains have been linked to improved recovery from muscle-damaging exercise.9)The minimal effective dose and method of administration (potency per serving, single vs. split dose, delivery form) of a specific probiotic strain depends on validation studies for this particular strain. Products that contain probiotics must include the genus, species, and strain of each live microorganism on its label as well as the total estimated quantity of each probiotic strain at the end of the product's shelf life, as measured by colony forming units (CFU) or live cells.10)Preclinical and early human research has shown potential probiotic benefits relevant to an athletic population that include improved body composition and lean body mass, normalizing age-related declines in testosterone levels, reductions in cortisol levels indicating improved responses to a physical or mental stressor, reduction of exercise-induced lactate, and increased neurotransmitter synthesis, cognition and mood. However, these potential benefits require validation in more rigorous human studies and in an athletic population