Abstract
Changes in plasma zinc concentration and markers of immune function
were examined in a group of 10 male runners (n = 10)
following a moderate increase in training over four weeks. Seven sedentary
males acted as controls. Fasting blood samples were taken at rest, before (T0)
and after (T4) four weeks of increased (+ 16 %)
training and after two weeks of reduced (-31 %) training (T6).
Blood was analysed for plasma zinc concentration, differential leucocyte
counts, lymphocyte subpopulations and lymphocyte proliferation using
incorporation of 3H-thymidine. The runners increased their training
volume by 16 % over the four weeks. When compared with the
nonathletes, the runners had lower concentrations of plasma zinc
(p = 0.012), CD3+
(p = 0.042) and CD19+ lymphocytes
(p = 0.010) over the four weeks. Lymphocyte proliferation
in response to Concanavalin A stimulation was greater in the runners
(p = 0.0090). Plasma zinc concentration and immune markers
remained constant during the study. Plasma zinc concentration correlated with
total leucocyte counts in the athletes at T6 (r = -0.72,
p < 0.05) and with Pokeweed mitogen stimulation in the
nonathletes at T6 (r = -0.92, p < 0.05).
Therefore, athletes are unlikely to benefit from zinc supplementation during
periods of moderately increased training volume.
Key words
Homeostasis - stress - overload training - immune competence - zinc status
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J. Peake
School of Human Movement Studies · University of
Queensland
St Lucia · QLD 4072 · Australia ·
Phone: +61 7 3365-6983
Fax: +61 7 3365-6877
Email: jpeake@hms.uq.edu.au