White blood cells (WBCs) express tens of thousands of genes, whose expression levels are modified by genetic and external factors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of acute exercise on gene expression profiles (GEPs) of WBCs and to identify suitable genes that may serve as surrogate markers for monitoring exercise and training load. Five male participants performed an exhaustive treadmill test (ET) at 80% of their maximal O(2) uptake (Vo(2 max)) and a moderate treadmill test (MT) at 60% Vo(2 max) for exactly the same time approximately 2 wk later. WBCs were isolated by the erythrocyte lysis method. GEPs were measured using the Affymetrix GeneChip technology. After scaling, normalization, and filtering, groupwise comparisons of gene expression intensities were performed, and several measurements were validated by real-time PCR. We found 450 genes upregulated and 150 downregulated (>1.5-fold change; ANOVA with Benjamini-Hochberg correction, P < 0.05) after ET that were closely associated with the gene ontology lists "response to stress" and "inflammatory response". Analysis of mean expression levels after MT showed that the extent of up- and downregulation was workload dependent. The genes for the stress (heat shock) proteins HSPA1A and HSPH1 and for the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-9 showed the most prominent increases, whereas the YES1 oncogene (YES1) and CD160 (BY55) were most strongly reduced. Despite different methodological approaches used, the consistency of our results with the expression data of another study (Connolly PH, Caiozzo VJ, Zaldivar F, Nemet D, Larson J, Hung SP, Heck JD, Hatfield GW, Cooper DM. J Appl Physiol 97: 1461-1469, 2004) suggests that expression fingerprints are useful tools for monitoring exercise and training loads and thereby help to avoid training-associated health risks.

-It has become more evident that long-term cigarette smoking (LTCS) has an important extrapulmonary toxicity. The aim of the study was to investigate the time-dependent effects of cigarette smoke exposure on exercise capacity, markers of systemic inflammation, and skeletal muscle structure. c57bl/6j-mice were either exposed to mainstream cigarette smoke for 6 h/day, 5 days/wk [smoke-exposed (SE) group] or assigned to the control, unexposed group (Con group). SE group mice were exposed for 8, 16, 24, and 32 wk to smoke and unexposed Con mice were used as age-matched controls. Exercise capacity was investigated by spiroergometry. Systemic inflammatory status was analyzed by flow cytometry and multiplexed fluorescent immunoassay. For analysis of muscle tissue, histological techniques and microarray analysis were used. Mice of the SE group exhibited a lower increase of body mass and a decrease of V O2 max (P Ͻ 0.05). An increase of lymphocyte CD62, ICAM, and VCAM expression was found in SE mice (P Ͻ 0.05). A biphasic trend of protein up-and downregulation was observed in markers of systemic inflammation, tissue deterioration, and allergic reactions such as C-reactive protein (CRP), eotaxin, haptoglobin, macrophage colony-stimulating factor-1 (M-CSF-1), and macrophage inflammatory protein-1␥ (MIP-1␥). Thereby, the expression of several chemotactic proteins in plasma correlated with their expression in muscle. A time-dependent decrease of muscle mass, oxidative type-I fibers, and muscle cross-sectional area was found (P Ͻ 0.05). Microarray analysis revealed a SE-induced upregulation of several pathways of metabolic processes and tissue degradation. Taken together it was found that the loss of exercise capacity and systemic inflammation are early events of SE, which might induce muscular atrophy and loss of oxidative muscle capacity.

The purpose of the study was to compare anthropometric data and physical performance characteristics between different playing positions in professional team handball. Furthermore, a comparison between performance profiles of first and second division players was made. Thirty-four male professional handball players were recruited. Measurement of heart rates (HRs) during official games anthropometric data, sprint ability, jumping performance, throwing velocity, and endurance performance were determined and analyzed with respect to playing position. In a further step, additional 31 players from German second division were recruited to compare their profile on each position with profile of the first division players. Players of wings and backs positions had highest average HRs during game, best times in 30-m sprint tests, best jumping performance, and best anaerobic endurance performance. Similarly, backs and wings reached highest throwing velocities. Regarding anthropometric characteristics, wings were players with lowest body height and weight, whereas pivots were heaviest players and players with highest body mass index (BMI). We further found that wings from first division had a better sprint performance compared with wings from second division. Furthermore, pivots from first division had higher BMI and drop jump performance. Our data demonstrated a close relationship of anthropometric data, physical performance characteristic, and the playing position of handball. These information might be helpful for the assessment and evaluation of talents and may help to develop and optimize position-specific training regimes and identification of talents.

Intense exercise evokes a rapid and transient increase in circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA), a phenomenon that is commonly observed in a variety of acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. In this study, we aimed to shed new light on the release and clearance mechanisms of cf-DNA in response to exercise. We hypothesized that activated neutrophils may primarily contribute to exercise-evoked cf-DNA levels by releasing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Analysis of plasma and/or serum samples from male athletes at rest and in response to exhaustive treadmill exercise revealed an immediate and transient increase in cf-DNA that was concomitantly counterbalanced by an increase in serum DNase activity. Consistently, rapid release and clearance kinetics for cf-DNA could also be observed in response to intensive cycling exercise, with no significant differences between endurance-trained (V̇o2max >57 ml·min(-1)·kg(-1)) and healthy (V̇o2max <49 ml·min(-1)·kg(-1)) sedentary individuals. In postexercise blood smear samples, we detected seemingly intact neutrophils displaying morphological signs of NET release, as indicated by abnormal swollen nuclei and emanating DNA fibers. In support, we observed a striking correlation of postexercise cf-DNA concentrations with plasma levels of the granule-derived enzyme myeloperoxidase. Our study indicates that intense exercise induces liberation of NETs, which is sufficiently counterbalanced in healthy individuals by a concomitant rise in serum DNase activity. As aberrant release of NETs has been linked to diverse disease states, monitoring of cf-DNA/DNase levels or activities in response to standardized exercise testing could provide a valuable tool to identify people who are at increased risk for cardiac ischemia, thrombosis, autoimmunity, or chronic fatigue.

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There is currently insufficient evidence about the reliable quantification of exercise load and athlete’s recovery management for monitoring training processes. Therefore, this test–retest study investigated the reliability of various subjective, muscle force, and blood-based parameters in order to evaluate their suitability for monitoring exercise and recovery cycles. 62 subjects completed two identical 60-min continuous endurance exercise bouts intermitted by a four-week recovery period. Before, immediately after, three, and 24 h after each exercise bout, analysis of parameters were performed. Significant changes over time were found for rating of perceived exertion (RPE), multidimensional mood state questionnaire (MDMQ), maximum voluntary contraction parameters (MVCs), and blood-based biomarkers ( p < 0.05). Excellent reliability was calculated for MVCs, mean corpuscular volume and 5-bound distance (ICC > 0.90). A good reliability was found for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) (ICC = 0.79) and haematological markers (ICC = 0.75–0.86). For RPE, MDMQ, interleukin (IL-) 1RA, IL-6, IL-8, IL-15, cortisol, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) only moderate reliability was found (ICC < 0.75). Significant associations for IL1-RA and CK to MVC were found. The excellent to moderate reliability of TBARS, LDH, IL-1RA, six measured haematological markers, MVCs and MDMQ implicate their suitability as physiological exercise response and recovery markers for monitoring athletes’ load management.

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