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Interleukin-6 response to isokinetic exercise in elite athletes: relationships to adrenocortical function and to mechanical and myoelectric fatigue

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Abstract

Exercise stimulates the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6). Aims of the study were to: (a) analyse the IL-6 response to exercise in power (n = 7) and endurance athletes (n = 13); (b) determine the effects of the IL-6 production on mechanical and myoelectric fatigue; (c) evaluate the relationship between IL-6 and adrenocortical responses. EMG variables (conduction velocity, mean power frequency, average rectified value), ACTH, cortisol, DHEA, IL-6, myoglobin, and lactate were analysed before and after an isokinetic exercise. The exercise elicited significant mechanical and myoelectric fatigue as well as significant biochemical responses. Power athletes showed IL-6 and lactate responses higher than endurance athletes. The correlation analyses showed that the greater the mechanical fatigue, the greater the increases in lactate and IL-6. No correlations were found between IL-6 and EMG variables. No relationships were found between IL-6 and cortisol, after correction for ACTH levels. In conclusion, the muscular IL-6 production, as inferred by its circulating levels, had no detectable effects on the myoelectric manifestations of fatigue and the cortisol response to exercise was not related to the amount of circulating IL-6, but only to the activation of ACTH secretion.

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Notes

  1. The word “supramaximal” means that stimulation amplitude was above the value generating the maximal M-wave.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Prof. R. Merletti, Prof. A. Angeli, and Dr. A. Dovio for their constructive criticisms in the manuscript editing. We also acknowledge the excellent technical skill of Mrs. A. Termine who performed hormone measurements. This study was supported by ESA Project “MESM” (ESA-AO-LS-99-MAP-MED-028) and by MIUR Project “ENERME” (2003062904).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Divisione di Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy

    M. A. Minetto

  2. Laboratorio di Ingegneria del Sistema Neuromuscolare (LISiN), Dipartimento di Elettronica, Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy

    A. Rainoldi & M. Gazzoni

  3. Centro di Ricerca in Scienze Motorie, SUISM, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy

    A. Rainoldi

  4. Istituto di Medicina dello Sport di Torino, Torino, Italy

    G. P. Ganzit

  5. Divisione di Medicina Interna, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy

    L. Saba & P. Paccotti

Authors
  1. M. A. Minetto
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  2. A. Rainoldi
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  3. M. Gazzoni
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  4. G. P. Ganzit
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  5. L. Saba
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  6. P. Paccotti
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Correspondence to M. A. Minetto.

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Minetto, M.A., Rainoldi, A., Gazzoni, M. et al. Interleukin-6 response to isokinetic exercise in elite athletes: relationships to adrenocortical function and to mechanical and myoelectric fatigue. Eur J Appl Physiol 98, 373–382 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-006-0285-7

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