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Effects of resistance training at different loads on inflammatory markers in young adults

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Abstract

Purpose

Suppressing inflammaging at an early stage in life via exercise might prevent chronic diseases later in life. The aim was to investigate the influence of resistance training at different external loads on inflammatory markers in healthy young adults.

Methods

Serum was collected for basal levels of cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, sTNFR1, IL-1RA, IL-10 and GM-CSF) before and after 9 weeks exercise from 36 young (22 ± 2 years) healthy subjects who were randomized to three times weekly supervised resistance training at either HImax (n = 12, 1 × 10–12 repetitions at 80% 1RM), LO (n = 12, 1 × 10–12 repetitions at 40% 1RM), or LOmax (n = 12, 1 × 10–12 repetitions at 40% 1RM preceded by 60 repetitions at 20–25% 1RM) respectively.

Results

Overall, IL-8 increased (p < 0.001) and IL-6 decreased (p = 0.001) after training, but no significant time*group interaction was found (respectively, p = 0.283 and p = 0.058 for IL-8 and IL-6). When analyzed separately, IL-8 increased significantly in HImax (p = 0.022) and LOmax (p = 0.024); and IL-6 decreased significantly in LOmax (p = 0.009) and LO (p = 0.013). No significant overall time effect was observed for sTNFR1 and IL-1RA; however, in HImax sTNFR1 (p = 0.031) and IL-1RA (p = 0.014) increased significantly, but remained unchanged in LOmax and LO. IL-1beta, IL-10 and GM-CSF levels remained undetectable in most participants.

Conclusions

Nine weeks of resistance training—irrespective of the external load—have beneficial effects on circulating IL-8 and IL-6. In addition, training at high external load increases the anti-inflammatory cytokines sTNFR1 and IL-1RA. The results of this study show that resistance training has anti-inflammatory effects in healthy young persons and that the response of the different inflammatory mediators depends on the magnitude of the external load.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the Research Foundation Flanders, Belgium (FWO-Vlaanderen), as E. Van Roie was a Ph.D. Fellow of FWO. The results of the present study do not constitute an endorsement by ACSM. The authors have no other declarations of interest to report.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gerontology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Louis Nuvagah Forti, Rose Njemini, Ingo Beyer & Ivan Bautmans

  2. Frailty in Ageing Research (FRIA) Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Louis Nuvagah Forti, Rose Njemini, Ingo Beyer & Ivan Bautmans

  3. Physical Activity, Sports and Health Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, 3001, Leuven, Belgium

    Evelien Van Roie & Christophe Delecluse

  4. Radiology Section, Department of Morphology and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Walter Coudyzer

  5. Department of Geriatrics, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 101, 1090, Brussels, Belgium

    Ingo Beyer & Ivan Bautmans

Authors
  1. Louis Nuvagah Forti
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  2. Evelien Van Roie
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  3. Rose Njemini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ivan Bautmans.

Additional information

Communicated by Fabio Fischetti.

Louis Nuvagah Forti and Evelien Van Roie contributed equally to the paper and should be indexed as shared first authorship.

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Forti, L.N., Van Roie, E., Njemini, R. et al. Effects of resistance training at different loads on inflammatory markers in young adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 511–519 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3548-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3548-6

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