W9 - Immune System & Exercise Flashcards
What are the 2 ways in which our immune system can be divided?
Innate / Natural / non-specific
Acquired / Specific
When is the innate immune system activated?
When an infectious agent attempts to enter the body.
MECHANISMS UNDER THE INNATE IMMUNE SYSTEM
What immune cells come under phagocytes?
Neutrophils
Eosinophils
Basophils
Monocytes
Macrophages
What is required for the Acquired / Specific immune system?
Previous exposure, so failure of the innate immune system.
How does the acquired / specific immune system develop/build/protect you?
With age + based on what you’ve been exposed to.
How does the acquired immune system build up and protect you?
Responding specifically to the infectious agent.
Antigen processing (carried out by macrophages).
What do macrophages interact with?
What do they result in?
Cytotoxic t lymphocytes
Result in the formation of clones of antigen specific T + B lymphocytes.
How does the adaptive immune system aim to combat infections?
By preventing colonisation of pathogens + keeping them out of the body.
Into what can the acquired immune system be split into?
Cell-mediated (involving Cytotoxic t lymphocytes)
Humoral (involving antibodies prod by the b lymphocytes)
Do the acquired + innate immune systems work together?
YES
Main function of neutrophils
Phagocytosis
Main function of eosinophils
Destroy parasites
Main function of basophil
Inflammation
Main function of lymphocyte
Immune response
Main function of monocyte
Phagocytosis
What are the ways in which one can get increased susceptibility to URI symptoms?
Allergy or inflammation of airways
⬆️ exposure to pathogens
Too much stress for athlete = depressed immune function
What are the ways in which you can get increased exposure to pathogens?
⬆️ Lunge ventilation
Skin abrasions
Foreign travel
Crowds
Poor hygiene
What curve demonstrates athletes susceptibility to illness?
S shaped curve
What is supra maximal exercise?
Exercise at an intensity higher than that requires to elicit VO2 max
Define leukocytosis
Cond in which the white cell (leukocyte count) is above the normal range in blood.
What is leukocytosis a sign of?
Inflammatory response, most commonly the result of infection.
May also occur following certain parasitic infections or bone tumours.
Exercise + circulating immune cells
After exercise:
Biphasic leukocytosis
1st ⬆️ is driven by neutrophils + lymphocytes
2nd ⬆️ is driven. by neutrophils
What accounts for the 1st leukocytosis seen in biphasic leukocytosis when exercising?
⬆️ bf = ⬆️ shear stress on bv
⬆️ sheer stress + ⬆️ release of catecholamines = ⬇️ adherence of WBCs to walls of bv = ⬆️ WBC circulating in bloodstream.
What accounts for the 2nd leukocytosis seen in biphasic leukocytosis when exercising?
Release of cortisol from adrenal cortex causes mobilisation of neutrophils from bone marrow.
= ⬆️ leukocytes (mainly driven by the neutrophil still tho)
What is lymphocytopenia?
Fall in lymphocytes below baseline after exercsie
How can you measure the function of neutrophils?
By looking at the degranulation.
Neutrophil response to acute exercise?
Exercise
⬆️ levels of neutrophils
Inhibited function
What is another measure of neutrophil function?
Elastase release
Neutrophil response to chronic exercise?
⬇️ Function
Depletes bone marrow reserves
What does normal functioning of lymphocytes involve?
Selective proliferation
What is the specific surface antigen receptor for T cells?
TCR
What is the specific surface antigen receptor for B cells?
Ig
Selective proliferation
When more T or B cells are made to get rid of foreign agents as a result of which has the complementary specific surface antigen.
What happens to lymphocyte proliferation post-exercise?
Temporarily lowered
What can happen to T cell proliferation when cortisol is released during exercise?
Prevents/reduces T cell proliferation
How do lymphocytes always start out?
As T helper naive cells
Can then differentiate into either T helper 1 or T helper 2 cells.
T helper 2 cells a.k.a B lymphocytes
What are T lymphocytes related to?
Cell mediated immunity
What do T lymphocytes fight viruses with?
Cytokines releasing IFN-y, IL-2 + TNF-beta
What do B lymphocytes release to fight bacteria?
Antibodies
What type of immunity do B lymphocytes carry out?
Humoral or antibody immunity
How can you measure your cell mediated immunity after severe exercise?
Using an antigen skin test
Response means you have some immunity.
No response = no immunity
What happens to the immune system during intense training?
⬇️ Function of neutrophils + lymphocytes
Give an example of an immune marker
Salivary IgA
A ⬇️ in IgA can make you more susceptible to infection
Based on Salivary IgA, when is there a 1 in 2 chance of coming down with an infection?
When theres a 40%+ fall below baseline
What nutrients assist in maintaining immune function?
Protein
Energy
Vitamin A + D
iron
Zinc
Copper
Selenium
What should be taken if you want to train intensely but don’t want to come down with an infection?
CHO during exercise
- Prevents rise in cortisol + adrenaline levels
+
Maintains blood glucose conc
What can cortisol do to our immune function?
Can damage it
What is the name of a questionnaire that monitors the state of well being + mood state of athletes?
DALDA questionnaire
As well as preventing rise in cortisol + adrenaline levels, what else can CHO do?
Prevent fall in IFN-y (coming from t-lymphocytes)
- Good
What else can be taken as well as CHO to ⬇️ susceptibility to infection when or after exercise?
Quercetin
What happens to cortisol levels during and following exercise when carbohydrate is taken during the exercise compared to placebo?
Levels stay constant during exercise and in recovery.
What effect does carbohydrate ingestion compared to placebo during intense training have on DALDA part B?
⬇️ scores
What effect does carbohydrate ingestion compared to placebo have on IFN gamma production when taken during intense exercise?
Prevents the fall
What effect does quercetin have on days of illness post intense training?
⬇️ No.
What effect does non -alcoholic beer have on risk of URTI post a marathon?
⬇️ risk
What happens to neutrophil oxidative burst activity and lymphocyte proliferation during normal training, intense training and recovery training?
Neutrophil oxidative burst activity ⬇️ in intensified training
Lymphocyte proliferation is ONLY ⬇️ w intense training + recovery training.
What happens to SIgA with increased training load?
Decreases making you more susceptible to infection
What is the most cytotoxic CD8 T lymphocyte?
RA+ effector memory
What happened to the egress of the RA+EM CD8 T lymphocytes following high intense training?
Stayed the same
What are probiotics?
Live microorganisms that can modify gut bacteria.
NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS
What do zinc lozenges do?
⬇️ Viral activity in oropharyngeal region
NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS
What does Vitamin C do?
Strong support for prevention
NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS
What does glutamine do for lymphocytes?
Acts as an energy substrate
NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTIONS
What does caffeine do?
Activates lymphocytes + ⬇️ fall in neutrophil function.
What effect does supplements of vitamin E have on the immune system?
No effect
What effect did protein ingestion have on the release of RA+EM CD8 T lymphocytes during intense training?
Prevents fall
What effect does probiotics have on the incidence of URTI?
⬇️ incidence
