Acute Effects of the Cellular Immune System on Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises

Objective: 18 university students, who have been kept sedentary and whose ages are 21,6 years averagely, have participated, voluntarily, in this study in order to inspect for the acute responses of the immune system to the aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Method: The Max VO2 values of the volunteers were determined using the Astrand Bicycle Ergometer testing method. The volunteers were subjected to aerobic exercises using 50% of Max VO2 for a time period of 45 minutes, and then to anaerobic exercises using 120% of Max VO2 until they exhausted. In the study, venous blood samples of the volunteers were taken before exercises, immediately after the exercises and 24 hours after exercises respectively; and therefore, the levels of cellular immune, T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte were examined accordingly. The statistical analyses were performed using One-Way ANOVA testing method. Result: Meanwhile, whereas the differences in the levels of T-lymphocyte, B-lymphocyte and components of the cellular immune measured immediately after exercise and 24 hours after exercise were found meaningless when compared to the levels obtained prior to exercises for the aerobic exercises (p>0,05), increased levels (leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, neutrophilia, monocytosis, and B-lymphocyte) obtained immediately after the exercises, and especially the decrease in the level of T-lymphocyte were meaningful for the anaerobic type of exercises (p<0.05). Therefore, decreased levels obtained 24 hours after the anaerobic exercise (for leukopoenia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, B-lymphocyte), and increased levels for T-lymphocyte were considered statistically meaningful. When both type of exercises were compared to each other, whereas significant differences were found in the levels of leukocyte, monocyte, neutrophilia, basophil, T-lymphocyte, and B-lymphocyte immediately after the exercises (p<0,05), no meaniningful difference was observed for eosinophilia (p>0,05). Conclusions: As a result, it has been assumed that intensive and exhausting type of exercises have been placing much more effect, immediately after exercise, on the elements of the cellular immune system than the moderate type of exercises, and meanwhile it might be resulted from the leukocytes those entering the circulation system from the marginating pool through demargination, and also from the damages occurring in the organism. It has been thought, on the other hand, that the decrease observed 24 hours after the exercises was caused possibly by the intensive and exhausting type of exercises those applying suppression on the components of the immune system.