RESUMO
PURPOSE: Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that plays a critical role with potent anti-inflammatory properties when produced during exercise, limiting host immune response to pathogens and preventing tissue damage. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the response of IL-10 after acute exercise session in healthy adults. METHODS: Databases of Ovid Medline (1978-2016), CINAHL (1998-2016), EMBASE (2003-2016), SportDiscus (1990-2016), and Web of Science library (1990-2016) were carefully screened. Clinical trials comparing exercise types in healthy individuals were included for pooled analysis. The trials of exercise were methodologically appraised by PEDro Scale. RESULTS: Twelve randomized controlled and crossover trials containing 176 individuals were identified for inclusion. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed no significant differences between type of exercise and the corresponding values in IL-10 [X2(4) = 2.878; p = 0.449]. The duration of exercise was significantly correlated with increase in IL-10 changes (Pearson's r = 1.00, 95%CI: 0.015-0.042, p < 0.0001) indicating that 48% of the variation in IL-10 levels can be explained by the duration of the exercise performed. In addition, despite a linear increase, we did not find a significant correlation with the intensity of exercise and IL-10 changes (Pearson's r = 0.218, 95%CI: -0.554-0.042, p < 0.035). CONCLUSION: Overall, the duration of the exercise is the single most important factor determining the magnitude of the exercise-induced increase of plasma IL-10.