Kinetics of Immune Cell Mobilization during Acute Aerobic Exercise in
                    Healthy Adults

Frederike Adammek; Tiffany Y. Wences Chirino; David Walzik; Sina Trebing; Sergen Belen; Daniel Renpening; Philipp Zimmer; Niklas Joisten

doi:10.1055/a-2338-5397

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2024; 45(12): 908-916
DOI: 10.1055/a-2338-5397

Physiology & Biochemistry

Kinetics of Immune Cell Mobilization during Acute Aerobic Exercise in Healthy Adults

Authors

Frederike Adammek

¹Division of Performance and Health (Sports Medicine), Department of Sport and Sport Science, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
Tiffany Y. Wences Chirino

¹Division of Performance and Health (Sports Medicine), Department of Sport and Sport Science, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
David Walzik

¹Division of Performance and Health (Sports Medicine), Department of Sport and Sport Science, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
Sina Trebing

¹Division of Performance and Health (Sports Medicine), Department of Sport and Sport Science, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
Sergen Belen

²Division of Exercise and Movement Science, University of Göttingen Institute for Sport Science, Gottingen, Germany
Daniel Renpening

¹Division of Performance and Health (Sports Medicine), Department of Sport and Sport Science, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
Philipp Zimmer

¹Division of Performance and Health (Sports Medicine), Department of Sport and Sport Science, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
Niklas Joisten

¹Division of Performance and Health (Sports Medicine), Department of Sport and Sport Science, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany

²Division of Exercise and Movement Science, University of Göttingen Institute for Sport Science, Gottingen, Germany

Abstract

While pre-post differences in immune cell mobilization after acute aerobic exercise are well investigated, less is known about when and to what extent immune cells are mobilized during acute aerobic exercise. This experimental trial aimed to investigate the detailed kinetics of circulating immune cells in twelve healthy adults (n=6 females) who completed a 40-min aerobic exercise bout at 60% of the participantsʼ V̇O2_peak on a bicycle ergometer. Cellular inflammation markers and sex-dependent differences in circulating immune cells were analyzed. Blood samples were taken immediately before, after warm-up, during exercise after 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, 40 min (cessation), and 60 min post exercise. Significant increases in leukocytes (p<0.001), lymphocytes (p<0.001), neutrophils (p=0.003) and platelets (p=0.047) can be observed after 5 min of exercise. The cellular inflammation markers show significant alterations only post exercise. Significant sex differences were observed for neutrophils (p=0.049) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (p=0.007) one hour post exercise. These results indicate that i) leukocytes are already mobilized after 5 min of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise, ii) the magnitude of exercise induced leukocyte mobilization is dependent on exercise duration, iii) integrative cellular inflammation markers are only altered after exercise cessation, and iv) the observed effects might be sex-dependent.

Keywords

circulating immune cells - aerobic exercise - NLR - endurance exercise - exercise immunology

Full Text

References

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