Thirty days of double-strain probiotic supplementation increases monocyte phagocytosis in marathon runners.

Marathon runners, subjected to intense training regimes and prolonged, exhaustive exercises, often experience a compromised immune response. Probiotic supplementation has emerged as a potential remedy to mitigate the impact of prolonged exercise on athletes. Consequently, this study sought to assess the influence of probiotic supplementation on monocyte functionality both before and after the official marathon race. Twenty-seven runners were randomly and double-blindly assigned to two groups: Placebo-PLA (n=13) and Probiotic-PRO (n=14). Over thirty days, both groups received supplements-PLA sachets containing maltodextrin (5g/day) and PRO sachets containing 1 x 1010 CFU Lactobacillus acidophilus and 1 x 1010 CFU Bifidobacterium bifidum subsp. lactis. Blood samples were collected, and immunological assays, including phagocytosis, hydrogen peroxide production, cytokine levels, and monocyte immunophenotyping, were conducted at four different intervals: Baseline (start of supplementation/thirty days pre-marathon), 24h-Before (one-day pre-marathon), 1h-After (1h post-marathon), and 5d-After (five days post-marathon). Monocyte populations remained consistent throughout the study. A notable increase in phagocytosis was observed in the PRO group after thirty days of supplementation. Upon LPS stimulation, both PRO and PLA groups exhibited decreased IL-8 production. However, after the marathon race, IL-15 stimulation demonstrated increased levels of 5d-After, while IL-1-ß, IL-8, IL-10, IL-15, and TNF-α varied across different intervals, specifically within the PRO group. Probiotic supplementation notably enhanced the phagocytic capacity of monocytes. However, these effects were not sustained post-marathon.

Perspectives on Player Performance during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: A Brief Report.

Changing the date of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 may represent a factor to consider for the expected performance of participating players. This was due to fixture congestion at the start of the season and expected weather conditions during the competition. Thus, the main purpose of this brief report was to critically analyze the potential impact of changing the competition date and weather conditions on players' performance. In addition, a brief description about the performance during the World Cup is also provided. For the research, the Web of Science, PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases were accessed using the primary keywords FIFA World Cup and World Soccer Cup associated with the secondary keywords match running performance, fixture congestion, fatigue and weather conditions. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 52 articles were considered for analysis. The results seem to indicate that although changes were expected due to the modifications made (i.e., the competition date and scheduling congestion), the performance of the players seems not to have been affected in terms of the analyzed indicators. Furthermore, it seems possible to identify some patterns in the behavior of the teams that reached the most advanced stages of the competition.

From skeletal muscle damage and regeneration to the hypertrophy induced by exercise: what is the role of different macrophage subsets?

Macrophages are one of the top players when considering immune cells involved with tissue homeostasis. Recently, increasing evidence has demonstrated that macrophages could also present two major subsets during tissue healing: proliferative macrophages (M1-like), which are responsible for increasing myogenic cell proliferation, and restorative macrophages (M2-like), which are involved in the end of the mature muscle myogenesis. The participation and characterization of these macrophage subsets are critical during myogenesis to understand the inflammatory role of macrophages during muscle recovery and to create supportive strategies that can improve mass muscle maintenance. Indeed, most of our knowledge about macrophage subsets comes from skeletal muscle damage protocols, and we still do not know how these subsets can contribute to skeletal muscle adaptation. Thus, this narrative review aims to collect and discuss studies demonstrating the involvement of different macrophage subsets during the skeletal muscle damage/regeneration process, showcasing an essential role of these macrophage subsets during muscle adaptation induced by acute and chronic exercise programs.

Carbohydrate and Glutamine Supplementation Attenuates the Increase in Rating of Perceived Exertion during Intense Exercise in Hypoxia Similar to 4200 m.

The rating of perceived exertion (RPE) indicates the feeling of fatigue. However, hypoxia worsens the condition and can worsen RPE. We evaluated whether carbohydrate and glutamine supplementation alters RPE and physiological markers in running at 70% peak oxygen uptake until exhaustion in a simulated altitude of 4500 m. Nine volunteers underwent three running tests at 70% peak oxygen uptake until exhaustion: (1) hypoxia and placebo, (2) hypoxia and 8% maltodextrin, and (3) hypoxia after six days of glutamine supplementation (20 g/day) and 8% maltodextrin. The exercise and supplementation were randomized and double-blinded. Lactate, heart rate, haemoglobin O2 saturation (SpO2%), and RPE (6-20 scale) were analyzed at the 15th and 30th min. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. SpO2% decreased at the 15th and 30th minutes compared to resting in placebo, carbohydrate, and glutamine supplementation. RPE increased at the 30th minute compared to the 15th minute in placebo and carbohydrate supplementation; however, there was no difference in the glutamine supplementation condition. Heart rate and lactate increased after the 15th and 30th minutes compared to resting, similar to the three conditions studied. We conclude that previous supplementation with glutamine and carbohydrate during intense exercise in hypoxia similar to 4500 m can attenuate the increase in RPE by the increase in glycemia and can be a useful strategy for people who exercise in these conditions.

Effects of carbohydrate and glutamine supplementation on cytokine production by monocytes after exercise in hypoxia: A crossover, randomized, double-blind pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of carbohydrate (CHO) and glutamine (Gln) supplementation on cytokine production by monocytes after exercise until exhaustion performed in hypoxia. METHODS: Fifteen physically active men underwent three exercises until exhaustion with an intensity of 70% maximal oxygen intake at a simulated height of 4500 m under the following supplementation: placebo, CHO (maltodextrin 8%/200 mL for 20 min), and CHO + Gln (Gln 20 g/d for 6 d and maltodextrin 8%/200 mL for 20 min) during exercise and for 2 h of recovery. Analysis of variance for repeated measures followed by the Tukey's post hoc test was realized and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Oxygen saturation of arterial blood (SaO2%) decreased in the three trials compared with baseline. Two hours post-exercise, the SaO2% was high in CHO + Gln condition compared with placebo. Two hours after exercise, interleukin (IL)-1ß decreased compared with post-exercise in placebo and was lower compared with baseline in the CHO + Gln condition. Tumor necrosis factor-α decreased 2 h after exercise compared with baseline and pre-exercise in the CHO + Gln condition. No changes were observed in myeloperoxidase or IL-6 production. Two hours after exercise, Gln decreased compared with baseline and post-exercise in placebo and decreased 2 h after exercise in relation to post-exercise in the CHO condition. Gln increased post-exercise compared with pre-exercise in the CHO + Gln condition. Although erythropoietin did not change in this condition, it was high post-exercise and 2 h after exercise in the placebo condition compared with baseline and 2 h after exercise compared with baseline and pre-exercise in the CHO condition. CONCLUSIONS: Gln supplementation for 6 d before exercise, associated with CHO supplementation during exercise, was able to revert Gln reduction after exercise and after 2 h of recovery and may have contributed to reducing tumor necrosis factor-α production, suggesting a possible anti-inflammatory effect of supplementation.

Effect of moderate exercise under hypoxia on Th1/Th2 cytokine balance.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Moderate exercise performed in normoxia can be immunostimulatory, while strenuous exercise can be immunosuppressive. However, less is known about the effects of exercise under hypoxia on cytokines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an acute exercise session performed under hypoxia similar to an altitude of 4200 m on cytokine balance. Our hypothesis was that exercise, even of moderate intensity, associated with hypoxia may induce different changes in relation to the normoxic condition. METHODS: Eight healthy male volunteers were exercised on a treadmill for 1 hour at an intensity of 50% VO2peak under normoxic or hypoxic condition (4200 m). Blood samples were collected at rest and immediately 1 hour after the exercise, respectively to determine cytokines, hormones and metabolites. The two-way ANOVA and the Bonferroni post hoc test were used and the significance adopted was P < .05. RESULTS: While IL-2, the IL-2/IL-4 ratio and glutamine decreased under hypoxia, IL-6 and IL-1ra increased. There were increases in the IL-2/IL-4 ratio, IL-6, IL-1ra and IL-10/TNF-α in normoxia. There were no differences in cortisol or glucose. CONCLUSION: Moderate exercise under hypoxia condition changes the Th1/Th2 balance including IL-2, IL-4 and TNF-α cytokines, suggesting a Th2 response after 1 hour rest.