Effect of acute inflammatory response to maximal and submaximal exercise on iron-related indices

ABSTRACT

Twenty male subjects were studied to evaluate the effect of inflammatory response on iron status after maximal and submaximal exercises aiming to identify the appropriate intensity with minimal effect on iron status. The resting levels of the iron related indices were within normal range, whereas, after submaximal and maximal exercises, a fall in serum iron [-28.23%+15.31, - 27.4%+10.14], percent transferrin saturation [-25.71% +/- 12.5, - 33.77% +/- 13.65] and serum ferritin [-2.46% +/- 6.32, - 3.66% +/- 5.63] and a rise in the white cell count [59.5% +/- 13.31, 74.59%+10.12] with release of lactoferrin [73.47% +/- 27.28, 88.6+27.94] were noted. These changes were attributed to the known actions of interleukin-1 [IL-1] being one of the mediators of acute inflammatory reaction as evidenced by the positive correlations found between interleukin-1 and lactoferrin levels both after submaximal and maximal exercises. Moreover, positive correlation was observed between minute oxygen consumption [VO[2]] and [IL-1] level after both types of exercises denoting that the more the subject is fit the more he withstands the tissue hypoxia. The percent changes in serum lactoferrin, white blood cells and interleukin-1 due to maximum exercise were significantly higher when compared with the corresponding values after submaximal exercise. We conclude that although both maximal and submaximal exercises stimulate the acute phase response, yet the submaximal exercise exerts a less harmful effect on iron indices