Effects of hypobaric Endurance Training on Graded Exercise Induced Lymphocyte Mobilization, Senescence and Their Surface Thiol Levels in Elite Male Athletes

Abstract

The effects of each hypoxemic exercise session or overall training period still remains to be more elucidated in elite athletes. Therefore, we investigated the effects of hypobaric endurance training on lymphocytes mobilization and senescence and also their surface Thiol levels following to graded exercise test (GXT) in elite male athletes. Fourty six volunteer subjects were randomized into normobaric control (NC), hypobaric control (HC), normobaric exercise (NE) and hypobaric exercise (HE) groups. The NE and HE groups were exposed to homeland (700 mmHg) and 2800 meters above sea level (570 mmHg) simulated barometric pressures respectively, while HC and NC groups were remained sedentary at the same conditions. The training was included on treadmill running for four weeks, five sessions/week, 45 min/ session. Each session was consisted of three-min warmed up period, three cycles of 10-min running at 65% maximal heart rate reserve (HRRmax) interspersed with a three-min active recovery and three-min cool-down running period. Two GXTs were performed before (baseline) and after the interventions and blood samples were collected three times at both occasions. In all groups, mobilization of CD8+lymphocytes and senescent phenotype population of their both CD4+ and CD8+ subsets were increased after both GXTs, however; these changes were reversed following to recovery period(P<0.05). Moreover, HE were decreased lymphocytes surface thiol levels before and after the second GXT (P<0.05).it can be concluded that HE has no additional benefits for elite athletes regarded to lymphocytes mobilization and senescence, however; it may render them to oxidative stress.