Abstract des Autors

Leucocyte counts and the phagocytic and chemotactic activities of neutrophil granulocytes were investigated in highly endurance-trained long-distance runners and triathletes during a moderate training period and compared with untrained subjects before and up to 24 h after a graded treadmill exercise to exhaustion. After exercise leucocytosis was noted with significant increase in lymphocyte and neutrophil counts in all groups. In neutrophils the number of ingested inert latex beads was significantly increased from 0.21+-0.09 to 0.45+-0.22 in controls, from 0.20+-0.12 to 0.56+-0.16 in long-distance runners and from 0.25+-0.08 to 1.03+-0.42 particles/cell in triathletes 24 h after exercise, compared with resting values. The capability of neutrophils to produce microbicidal reactive oxygen species fell immediately after exercise in all subjects and then increased by 36+-8, 31+-6 and 19+-9 in controls, runners and triathletes respectively up to 24 h after exercise compared with pre-start values. As to the absolute number of neutrophils, ingestion capacity, production of superoxide anions and chemotactic activity, no significant differences were found between athletes and control subjects at rest and after exercise. Data indicate, on the one hand, no impairment of the granulocyte system during a moderate training period in long-distance runners and triathletes but, on the other, that the prolonged activation of the phagocytosis reaction after exercise might impair the granulocyt system in periods of intense training.