The combined effects of moderate exercise and short-term fasting on markers of immune function in healthy human subjects.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a short-term (36h) fasting period combined with an acute bout of exercise on markers of immune function and inflammation in healthy human subjects. Fourteen moderately trained male subjects (aged 19-39 years) participated in a 36 hrs Fasting-Trial (FA-T) followed by an acute bout of moderate exercise (60% VO2max). After one week, the same subjects, as their own control, participated in a Non-Fasting-Trial (NFA-T), in which they performed an exercise trial of the same duration and intensity. Blood samples were taken before, immediately and one hour after each exercise bout and analyzed for several immunological and metabolic markers. At baseline, fasting subjects showed lower levels of T cell apoptosis, lymphocyte proliferative responses, IL-6, MCP-1, insulin, and leptin (P<0.05) as well as higher levels of neutrophils oxidative burst and TBARS than those in the NFA-T (P<0.05). Following the exercise protocol, fasted subjects revealed higher T cell apoptosis, neutrophils oxidative burst, TBARS, TNF-α, and MCP-1 levels as well as lower levels of lymphocyte proliferative response, IL-6, insulin, and leptin than those in the NFA-T (P<0.05). Short-term fasting aggravates perturbations in markers of immune function and inflammation were induced by an acute moderate-intensity exercise protocol. PMID: 32401626 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol Source Type: research