Influence of Commonly Employed Resistance Exercise Protocols on Circulating IL-6 and Indices of Insulin Sensitivity

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to examine the influence of resistance exercise (RE) intensities, resulting in different total volume loads on circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6), insulin and glucose response (IGR) to a carbohydrate feeding (CHO), and whether RE-induced IL-6 was associated with postexercise IGR. Fourteen men (21.7 +/- 1.7 years, 83 +/- 14.2 kg), performed 2 RE sessions (low-intensity resulting in high volume [65% 1-repetition maximum (1RM)], LO; high intensity resulting in low volume [85% 1RM], HI); and a nonexercise control trial (CON). Resistance exercise included 3 sets (LO = 12 reps, 12 reps, and failure; HI = 8 reps, 8 reps, and failure) of 8 exercises. Blood was obtained pre- (PR) and post (PO) exercise, and 6 hours postexercise (6H). Twenty-three hours after RE or CON, participants consumed 100 g dextrose (CHO) beverage. Blood was collected before (0 minutes) and 60 minutes after CHO (n = 6, phase 1) or every 30 minutes for a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (n = 8; phase 2). Circulating IL-6, insulin, and glucose were analyzed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, radioimmunoassay, and enzymatic methods, respectively. Total volume load was higher in LO (17,729 +/- 1,466 kg) compared with HI (13,160 +/- 1,097 kg; p < 0.001). Postexercise IL-6 was elevated (p = 0.003) in LO and HI compared with CON (7.4 +/- 1.3, 5.2 +/- 0.7, and 2.5 +/- 0.7 pg.mL, respectively), with LO IL-6 greater than HI. Areas under the curve for glucose (p = 0.081; CON: 741 +/- 46, LO: 690 +/- 28, and HI: 660 +/- 21 mM.min) and insulin (p = 0.075; CON: 6,818 +/- 1,018, LO: 5,056 +/- 869, and HI: 5,405 +/- 1,076 microIU.mL) were not different among trials (n = 8). When 0- and 60-minute values were compared (n = 14), insulin was lower at 60 minutes in LO and HI compared with CON (55 + 9.1, 83 +/- 13, 105 +/- 13 microIU.mL, respectively) with LO insulin being lower than HI (p < 0.001). No relationship was observed between PO IL-6 and IGR, but PR IL-6 was negatively related to both PR (r = -0.043, p < 0.05) and 60 minutes (r = -0.59, p < 0.01) glucose (n = 14). These results indicate that TVL contributes to RE-induced IL-6 release and that TVL may be more important than RE intensity when improvements in glucose tolerance or IS are the goal.

The correlation of resistance exercise-induced myostatin with insulin resistance and plasma cytokines in healthy young men

“…In addition, the peak IL-6 level is reached at the end of the exercise or shortly, thereafter, followed by a rapid reduction toward pre-exercise levels [25]. A similar study also reported that plasma IL-6 increased immediately after the RE and went back to baseline levels at 6 h in men [26]. Furthermore, IL-6 is secreted by skeletal muscle during exercise and exercise-induced increases in plasma level of IL-6 are followed by increased circulating level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 [9], indicating that IL-6 has an anti-inflammatory effect and may negatively regulate the inflammation of acute phase response by increasing IL-10 [27].…”

Inflammatory and Biochemical Biomarkers in Response to High Intensity Resistance Training in Trained and Untrained Men

“…Our results have shown that increases in IL-6 following RT are dependent on training intensity and lifted weights heaviness. Moreover, an inverse relation was found between the percentage of fat and the abdominal circumference with IL-6 increases during the training (Table 6) ing training at different intensities (intense and light) in 14 recreationally active men without body building history, and have reported that IL-6 concentration increased immediately after training at the two groups and then returned to the baseline, after 6 hours (36). A study on 24 active women has found controversies.…”

Influence of sex on cytokines, heat shock protein and oxidative stress markers in response to an acute total body resistance exercise protocol

“…Other studies have reported IL-6 values ranging from 2.0 pg/mL to 7.5 pg/mL (1e4-fold) immediately after and 45e90 minutes after exercise in men. 27,29,30 In women, a study reported no change in serum IL-6 at 3 hours, 24 hours, or 2 days after the exercise session, but there was mRNA upregulation for IL-6 post-exercise. 12 However, few studies have been directed to this purpose in women, which makes it difficult to compare values and peak time point.…”