Impact of Acute Exercise Intensity and Pattern on Cytokine Function (AEX)

University of British Columbia

Status: Completed

Conditions: Inflammation

Treatments: Other: Resting (no exercise) control; Other: Moderate intensity continuous exercise; Other: High intensity interval exercise; Other: High intensity continuous exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05574413

AEX2022

Details and patient eligibility

About

The immune system helps prevent illness, fights off infections, and repairs damaged tissues following an injury. However, when immune cells remain active for prolonged periods of time - a state known as "chronic inflammation" - they can contribute to the development and progression of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Exercise can reduce the risk of developing many of these diseases and at least part of the health benefits of exercise are due to the ability of exercise to reduce "chronic inflammation". The inflammation-lowering effects of exercise are typically captured by measuring hormone-like molecules released from immune cells called "cytokines" in the blood. In addition to changes in circulating cytokine levels, exercise may also alter how immune cells respond to these cytokines. How exercise intensity (i.e., how hard you are working during exercise) and pattern (i.e., exercising as a long continuous bout or in short intervals) impact the ability of immune cells to respond to cytokines is not well understood. A better understanding of how exercise intensity and pattern of exercise for reducing chronic inflammation may help determine the best types of exercises for improving health and preventing chronic diseases.

Enrollment: 16 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18-35 years of age
• Body mass index between 18.5-30 kg/m^2
• Free of cardiometabolic and autoimmune/inflammatory disease

Exclusion criteria

• Competitive endurance athlete
• Cigarette smoker
• Currently taking immunomodulatory/anti-inflammatory medications
• Currently pregnant

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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16 participants in 4 patient groups, including a placebo group

Resting (no exercise) control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Resting (no exercise) control condition

Treatment:

Other: Resting (no exercise) control

Moderate intensity continuous exercise (MICE)

Experimental group

Description:

Experimental session involving an acute bout of moderate intensity continuous exercise (MICE; continous cycling expending 350 kcal at 70% of lactate threshold)

Treatment:

Other: Moderate intensity continuous exercise

High intensity continuous exercise (HICE)

Experimental group

Description:

Experimental session involving an acute bout of high intensity continuous exercise (HICE; continuous cycling expending 350 kcal at 10% of the difference between lactate threshold and VO2peak)

Treatment:

Other: High intensity continuous exercise

High intensity interval exercise (HIIT)

Experimental group

Description:

Experimental session involving an acute bout of high intensity interval exercise (HIIT; cycling intervals expending 350 kcal at 10% of the difference between lactate threshold and VO2peak)

Treatment:

Other: High intensity interval exercise