Innate immunity changes in soccer players after whole-body cryotherapy.

Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) consists of short exposure (up to 2-3 min) to dry air at cryogenic temperatures (up to -190 °C) and has recently been applied for muscle recovery after injury to reduce the inflammation process. We aimed to determine the impact of cryotherapy on immunological, hormonal, and metabolic responses in non-professional soccer players (NPSPs). Nine male NPSPs (age: 20 ± 2 years) who trained regularly over 5 consecutive days, immediately before and after each training session, were subjected to WBC treatment (WBC-t). Blood samples were collected for the evaluation of fifty analytes including hematologic parameters, serum chemistry, and hormone profiles. Monocytes phenotyping (Mo) was performed and plasmatic markers, usually increased during inflammation [CCL2, IL-18, free mitochondrial (mt)DNA] or with anti-inflammatory effects (IL2RA, IL1RN), were quantified. After WBC-t, we observed reduced levels of ferritin, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean platelet volume, testosterone, and estradiol, which however remain within the normal ranges. The percentage of the total, intermediates and non-classical Mo increased, while classical Mo decreased. CXCR4 expression decreased in each Mo subset. Plasma IL18 and IL2RA levels decreased, while IL1RN only exhibited a tendency to decrease and CCL2 showed a tendency to increase. Circulating mtDNA levels were not altered following WBC-t. The differences observed in monocyte subsets after WBC-t may be attributable to their redistribution into the surrounding tissue. Moreover, the decrease of CXCR4 in Mo subpopulations could be coherent with their differentiation process. Thus, WBC through yet unknown mechanisms could promote their differentiation having a role in tissue repair.

Effects of whole-body cryotherapy on the innate and adaptive immune response in cyclists and runners.

The study aimed to identify the effects of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) on immunological, hormonal, and metabolic responses of non-professional male athletes. Ten cyclists and ten middle-distance runners received 3 once-a-day sessions of WBC. Before initiating and after the final WBC session, a full set of hematologic parameters, serum chemistry profile, hormones, circulating mitochondrial (mt) DNA levels, cytokines, and chemokines concentration were evaluated. The phenotype of monocyte, T cells, and B cells was analyzed. mRNA expression of 6 genes involved in inflammasome activation (NAIP, AIM2, NLRP3, PYCARD, IL-1ß, and IL-18) was quantified. WBC reduced glucose and C and S protein and increased HDL, urea, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, follicle-stimulating hormone, IL-18, IL-1RA, CCL2, and CXCL8. Intermediate and non-classical monocyte percentages decreased, and the CD14, CCR5, CCR2, and CXCR4 expressions changed in different subsets. Only IL-1ß mRNA increased in monocytes. Finally, a redistribution of B and T cell subsets was observed, suggesting the migration of mature cells to tissue. WBC seems to induce changes in both innate and adaptive branches of the immune system, hormones, and metabolic status in non-professional male athletes, suggesting a beneficial involvement of WBC in tissue repair.

Chronic endurance exercise training prevents aging-related cognitive decline in healthy older adults: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of endurance exercise training (EET) on the cognitive status of healthy community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted involving community-dwelling older adults from the town of Pianoro (northern Italy). We randomized 120 healthy subjects aged 65-74 years, both genders, to treatment (N = 60) and control (N = 60) groups. The treatment consisted of 12 months of supervised EET in a community gym, 3 h a week. All participants were assessed both at baseline and after 12 months on an intention-to-treat analysis. Cognitive status was assessed by one single test (Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE). Anthropometric indexes, routine laboratory measurements and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also assessed. RESULTS: The control group showed a significant decrease in MMSE score (mean difference -1.21, 95% CI -1.83/-0.60, p = 0.0002), which differed significantly (p = 0.02) from the treatment group scores (-0.21, 95% CI -0.79/0.37, p = 0.47). The odds ratio for the treated older adults to have a stable cognitive status after 1 year, as compared to the control group, was 2.74 (95% CI 1.16/6.48) after adjustment for age, gender, educational level and several other possible confounders. Blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference and serum cholesterol did not differ significantly between the two groups, while CRP decreased only in the treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: A 12-month EET intervention may reduce the progression of age-related cognitive decline in healthy older adults.