This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Allgrove JE, Chapman M, Christides T, Smith PM. Immunoendocrine responses of male

This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Allgrove JE, Chapman M, Christides T, Smith PM. Immunoendocrine responses of male spinal cord injured athletes to 1-hour self-paced exercise: Pilot study. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2012;49(6):925–34.http://dx.doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2011.06.0105

Slideshow ProjectDOI:10.1682/JRRD.2011.06.0105JSP

Immunoendocrine responses of male spinal cord injured athletes

to 1-hour self-paced exercise: Pilot study

Judith E. Allgrove, PhD; Mark Chapman, MSc; Tatiana Christides, MD; Paul M. Smith, PhD



• Aim– Examine and quantify acute effect of 1 h, self-paced

handcycling time trial on mucosal immunity, concentration of circulating leukocytes, and stress hormone responses.

• Relevance– Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) often have

recurrent respiratory tract, urinary tract, and skin infections.

– In nondisabled individuals, intense exercise can negatively affect immune function, while moderate exercise may enhance immunity.



Methods

• 9 male paraplegic athletes performed 1 h of handcycling exercise on standard 400 m track.– Heart rate (HR) was measured continuously

during exercise.– Retrospective rating of perceived exertion (RPE)

was obtained immediately after. – Venous blood and saliva samples were collected

immediately before and after exercise and 1 h after exercise.



Results• Athletes completed mean 22.4 km cycling at HR 165

beats/min, RPE 15, and blood lactate 7.9 mmol/L. • After exercise:– Total leukocytes increased 72%.– Neutrophils increased 74%.– Lymphocytes increased 53%. – Natural killer cells increased 175% (returned to near baseline 1 h

postexercise).– Alpha-amylase activity increased (returned to baseline 1 h

postexercise).– No significant change in saliva flow rate, salivary immuno-

globulin A, or cortisol.



Conclusions

• These data confirm that 1 h of handcycling exercise elevated circulating leukocytes but minimally affected mucosal immunity.

• These changes appear associated with alpha amylase rather than cortisol.

• Results suggest that handcycling can temporarily enhance certain immune indices in individuals with SCI.

Documents

This article and any supplementary material should be cited as follows: Allgrove JE, Chapman M, Christides T, Smith PM. Immunoendocrine responses of male