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Exerc Sci > Volume 12(4); 2003 > Article

Exercise Science 2003;12(4): 631-640.

Cytokine responses to moderate-intensity leg cycling exercise in follicular and luteal menstrual cycle phases

서상훈¹, GeorgeA.Brooks¹, GretchenA.Casazza²

¹University of California at Berkeley
²University of California at Davis

ABSTRACT

Seo, S.H., G.A. Casazza., G.A. Brooks. Cytokine responses to moderate-intensity leg cycling exercise in follicular and luteal menstrual cycle phases. Exercise Science, 12(4): 631-640, 2003. We examined the effects of exercise intensity and menstrual cycle phases on plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) during rest and exercise in rested 3-h postabsorptive women. Eight healthy, untrained women with normal menstrual cycles (24-34 days) were studied under conditions of rest (180 min) and exercise (60 min, leg ergometer cycling at 45 and 65% peak oxygen consumption) during follicular (FP; cycle days 3-9) and luteal (LP; cycle days 18-24) phases. Leg cycling was used to eliminate the possibility of muscle damage from plyometric muscle contractions as occur in running. Dietary intake was controlled for the 24-h immediately preceding each trial. The plasma concentrations of TNF-a and IL-6 were measured by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). There was a slight increase in plasma concentrations of TNF-aand IL-6 during exercise, as compared to rest, but this difference was not significant (p>.05). The plasma levels of TNF-a and IL-6 tended to be lower in LP than in FP, but no significant difference was found (p>.05). There were no significant differences in the plasma concentrations of TNF-a and IL-6 due to exercise intensity (i.e., exercise at 45 and 65% O2peak). These results are interpreted to mean that moderate- intensity bicycle exercise is unlikely to induce a change in inflammatory cytokine levels in young healthy women, and that plasma cytokine response during rest and exercise does not appear to be altered by overian steroid hormones.

Key words: exertion, ovarian hormones, women, gender, concentric exercise