Impact of Acute Exercise Intensity and Pattern on Cytokine Function

Summary

The immune system helps prevent illness, fights off infections, and repairs damaged tissues following an injury. However, when immune cells remain active for prolonged periods of time - a state known as "chronic inflammation" - they can contribute to the development and progression of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Exercise can reduce the risk of developing many of these diseases and at least part of the health benefits of exercise are due to the ability of exercise to reduce "chronic inflammation". The inflammation-lowering effects of exercise are typically captured by measuring hormone-like molecules released from immune cells called "cytokines" in the blood. In addition to changes in circulating cytokine levels, exercise may also alter how immune cells respond to these cytokines. How exercise intensity (i.e., how hard you are working during exercise) and pattern (i.e., exercising as a long continuous bout or in short intervals) impact the ability of immune cells to respond to cytokines is not well understood. A better understanding of how exercise intensity and pattern of exercise for reducing chronic inflammation may help determine the best types of exercises for improving health and preventing chronic diseases.

Conditions

• Inflammation

Interventions

OTHER

Moderate intensity continuous exercise

Participants will perform an acute bout of continuous cycling at 70% of the power output at lactate threshold until an energy expenditure of 350 kcal is achieved. Blood samples will be obtained immediately before and immediately, 30, and 90 minutes after exercise.

OTHER

High intensity continuous exercise

Participants will perform an acute bout of continuous cycling at 10% of the difference between lactate threshold and VO2peak until an energy expenditure of 350 kcal is achieved. Blood samples will be obtained immediately before and immediately, 30, and 90 minutes after exercise.

OTHER

High intensity interval exercise

Participants will perform an acute bout of interval cycling at at 10% of the difference between lactate threshold and VO2peak until an energy expenditure of 350 kcal is achieved. Blood samples will be obtained immediately before and immediately, 30, and 90 minutes after exercise.

OTHER

Resting (no exercise) control

Participants will remain in a rested state (i.e., no exercise) for the entire session. Blood samples will be obtained at the same time-points as the exercise sessions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of British Columbia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jonathan P Little, PhD · UBC Okanagan

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-09-15

Primary Completion

2023-08-01

Completion

2023-09-01

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations