Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction

Exercise induces changes in the inflammatory profile that can comprehend changes during and immediately after exercise with long-term effects. This inflammatory profile could impact the cognitive function and so, the performance.

Objectives

Compare the inflammatory status from long duration and endurance exercises and correlate it with an immune and neuroendocrine genetic profile.

Material and methods

Fifty-five non-professional athletes (mean age 44.8 ± 7.1 years) participating in a 9-day mountain cycling ultramarathon (TransPortugal) and 27 endurance athletes participating in 1-year of competition: 17 amateurs (mean age 43 ± 7.0 years) and 10 Professional (mean age 20 ± 1.6 years) were evaluated. Before and after race/season, were determined metabolic parameters by standard methods; IL6, TNF-alpha, BDNF and cortisol determined by ELISAs. Functional genetic polymorphisms IL-6 (rs 10 08 795), IL-1ß (rs 16 944), TNF-alpha (rs 18 00 629), IDO1 (rs 96 57 182) and 5HTTVNTR (VNTR-17bp) were determined by endpoint-analysis and PCR/RFLP.

Results and conclusions

Before the competitions, TransPortugal athletes had lower levels of inflammation (PCR and TNFa) than endurance athletes. TransPortugal athletes presented higher levels of insulin (P < 0.001) and HOMA-IR (P < 0.001), contrarily to endurance athletes that presented higher levels of glucose (P < 0.0001) and HOMA-ß (P = 0.006). The impact of a 9-days long duration exercise were reflected on inflammatory profile with an extensive increase of IL-6 and PCR (P < 0.0001) and uric acid (P = 0.027). The TNF-a levels continued to be higher in endurance athletes in relation to TransPortugal athletes (P < 0.0001). The IDO1-TT (P = 0.002), 5HTTVNTR-12/12 and IL-1ß-GG (P = 0.038) genotypes were more associated to TransPortugal athletes in relation to endurance athletes. This profile could contribute to a better performance. TransPortugal athletes with IDO1-TT genotype presented higher levels of TNF-alpha post-race (P = 0.046) and haptoglobin pre-race (P = 0.029); IL-1ß-GG genotype higher levels of IL-6 post-race (P = 0.048); and the 5HTTVNTR-12/12 genotype higher levels of haptoglobin post-race (P = 0.039) and lower levels of glucose (P = 0.055) and PCR post-race (P = 0.059). For endurance athletes, we only found merely modulation of IDO1 and IL-1ß associated to glucose and HOMA-ß pre-race (P < 0.05) and 5HTTVNTR-12/12 genotype presented higher levels of TNF-alpha pre-race (P = 0.033). In conclusion, accordingly to the inflammatory status, seems that TransPortugal athletes are more prepared for competition that endurance athletes and with a genetic profile that could explain some interindividual variations leading to modulation of inflammatory process and neuromodulation.