Lower white blood cell counts in elite athletes training for highly aerobic sports.

European Journal of Applied Physiology
P L HornC J Barnes

Abstract

White cell counts at rest might be lower in athletes participating in selected endurance-type sports. Here, we analysed blood tests of elite athletes collected over a 10-year period. Reference ranges were established for 14 female and 14 male sports involving 3,679 samples from 937 females and 4,654 samples from 1,310 males. Total white blood cell counts and counts of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were quantified. Each sport was scaled (1-5) for its perceived metabolic stress (aerobic-anaerobic) and mechanical stress (concentric-eccentric) by 13 sports physiologists. Substantially lower total white cell and neutrophil counts were observed in aerobic sports of cycling and triathlon (~16% of test results below the normal reference range) compared with team or skill-based sports such as water polo, cricket and volleyball. Mechanical stress of sports had less effect on the distribution of cell counts. The lower white cell counts in athletes in aerobic sports probably represent an adaptive response, not underlying pathology.

References

Jul 1, 1991·Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise·R D Telford, R B Cunningham
May 1, 1994·International Journal of Sports Medicine·A RivierJ Bousquet
Aug 26, 1998·Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications·M MarsA Chuturgoon
Feb 24, 2001·British Journal of Haematology·J F LeseveG Dine
Mar 22, 2001·British Journal of Haematology·H G Watson, D J Meiklejohn
Apr 19, 2002·Journal of Applied Physiology·Mutsuo YamadaKazuo Sugawara
Jun 19, 2002·Journal of Applied Physiology·F C MoorenK Völker
Oct 17, 2002·Journal of Applied Physiology·Maria R BonsignoreJames C Hogg
Mar 5, 2003·British Journal of Haematology·Patrick Philip, Stéphane Bermon
Sep 23, 2003·Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine : Official Journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine·Robin ParisottoAllan Hahn
Apr 6, 2004·Developmental and Comparative Immunology·Daniel R BarredaMiodrag Belosevic
Jun 15, 2004·Journal of Applied Physiology·Peter H ConnollyDan M Cooper
Sep 23, 2006·Journal of Applied Physiology·Petra BüttnerFrank C Mooren
Nov 17, 2007·Journal of Applied Physiology·Shlomit Radom-AizikDan M Cooper
Dec 19, 2008·Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise·William G HopkinsJuri Hanin
Jan 17, 2009·Mediators of Inflammation·Neha Mathur, Bente Klarlund Pedersen
Mar 7, 2009·The New England Journal of Medicine·Sally E Wenzel
Apr 9, 2009·The Journal of School Nursing : the Official Publication of the National Association of School Nurses·Bryan F BussThomas J Safranek
May 27, 2009·International Journal of Sports Medicine·D E RedziniakD J Mistry
Oct 30, 2009·Journal of Community Health Nursing·J Chad Sanders

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Nov 4, 2010·European Journal of Applied Physiology·Víctor DíazGiuseppe Banfi
Sep 15, 2012·Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquée, Nutrition Et Métabolisme·Grasiely Faccin BorgesAna Maria Teixeira
Jun 30, 2012·Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research·Mette F HeisterbergJesper L Andersen
Jan 5, 2014·Brain, Behavior, and Immunity·Marco Antonio Moro-GarcíaRebeca Alonso-Arias
Oct 9, 2014·Sports Medicine·Veronica VleckFrancisco Bessone Alves
Jun 29, 2011·International Journal of Laboratory Hematology·V DíazG Banfi
Aug 11, 2015·Journal of Chiropractic Medicine·Dustin C NabhanChad Barylski
Oct 17, 2014·Sports Medicine·Nathan A LewisCharles R Pedlar
Oct 26, 2014·European Journal of Applied Physiology·P L HornA W Cripps
May 3, 2014·Journal of Sports Sciences·Mette Flindt HeisterbergJesper L Andersen
Sep 25, 2020·British Journal of Sports Medicine·Claudia L ReardonBrian Hainline
Feb 6, 2017·Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism = Physiologie Appliquée, Nutrition Et Métabolisme·José P MorgadoMaria J Laires
Feb 23, 2019·Frontiers in Endocrinology·Giovanni LombardiGiuseppe Banfi
Oct 9, 2020·BioMed Research International·Paulo GentilLuiz Carlos Carnevali Junior
Dec 15, 2020·Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition·Tatiana MoroAntonio Paoli
Mar 23, 2021·Frontiers in Physiology·Paulo GentilDaniel Souza
Jun 27, 2021·Scientific Reports·Dorota Kostrzewa-NowakRobert Nowak
Aug 17, 2021·Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research·Robert NowakRafał Buryta

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology
H J SchwandtL Röcker
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Martin I Surks, Laura Boucai
International Journal of Epidemiology
C L FisherH Frumkin
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved