The impact of 6-month training preparation for an Ironman triathlon on the proportions of naïve, memory and senescent T cells in resting blood
Abstract
Athletes appear to be at a greater risk of illness while undertaking arduous training regimens in preparation for endurance events. As infection susceptibility has been linked with increased proportions of differentiated and senescent T cells in the periphery, changes in the proportions of these cell types due to long-term high-volume exercise training could have important implications for athlete infection risk. This study examined the effects of 6-month training preparation for an Ironman triathlon on the proportions of naïve, memory and senescent T cells in resting blood. Ten club-level triathletes (9 males; 1 female: 43 ± 3 years) were sampled at 27 (December), 21 (January), 15 (March), 9 (May) and 3 (June) weeks before an Ironman Triathlon. An additional sample was collected 2-week post-competition (August). Four-colour flow cytometry was used for the phenotypic analysis of CD4+ and CD8+ blood T cells. Proportions of differentiated (KLRG1+/CD57-) CD8+ T cells and "transitional" (CD45RA+/CD45RO+) CD4+ and CD8+ T cells increased with training, as the values in June were elevated 37, 142 and 116%, respectively, from those observed in December. Proportions of senescent (KLRG1+/CD57+) CD4+ or CD8+ T cells did not change during the training phase. Two weeks post-race, proportions of differentiated CD8+ T cells had returned to baseline values, while the proportions of senescent CD4+ T cells increased 192% alongside a 31% reduction in naïve (CD45RA+/CD45RO-) cells. In conclusion, increases in differentiated and "transitional" T cells due to arduous exercise training could compromise host protection to novel pathogens and increase athlete infection risk, although whether or not the composition of naïve and differentiated T cells in blood can serve as prognostic biomarkers in athletes remains to be established.
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Over approximately 6 months, numbers and proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ late-stage differentiated T cells accumulate whereas CD4+ and CD8+ naive cells decrease in endurance athletes.
“These studies show that over approximately 6 months, the numbers and proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ late-stage differentiated T cells accumulate whereas CD4+ and CD8+ naïve cells decrease (Cosgrove et al. 2012; Teixeira et al. 2014).”
From Is immunosenescence influenced by our lifetime “dose” of exercise? (2016) · cites this paper as Cosgrove et al. 2012
Very large volumes of exercise elicit a pro-immunosenescence effect.
“Studies collecting resting blood samples from endurance athletes and from less-active controls (defined using self-reported physical activity level), suggest that very large volumes of exercise elicit a pro-immunosenescence effect.”
From Is immunosenescence influenced by our lifetime “dose” of exercise? (2016) · cites this paper as Cosgrove et al. 2012
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- Authors
- Cosgrove, C., Galloway, S. D. R., Neal, C., Hunter, A. M., McFarlin, B. K., Spielmann, G., & Simpson, R. J.
- Affiliations
- Edinburgh Napier University (GB)
- University of Stirling (GB)
- University of Houston (US)
- Corresponding author
- Simpson, Richard J.
- Venue
- European Journal of Applied Physiology
- Published
- 2011-12-15
- Volume
- 112
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 2989-2998
- ISSN
- 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-6319
- 1439-6327
- OpenAlex
- W2054373548
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 47
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 1.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and B-cell Immunology
- Keywords
- T cell senescence, naive T cells, memory T cells, endurance training, Ironman triathlon, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, KLRG1, CD57
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cell Differentiation, Communicable Diseases, Exercise Test, Female, Flow Cytometry, Humans, Immunologic Memory, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Phenotype, Physical Endurance, Risk Factors, Time Factors, Biomarkers, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Immunophenotyping, Cellular Senescence, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
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