Abstract
Orienteering is an endurance sport that combines physical and cognitive activity,
during which the athlete must complete a course with several points distributed over
unknown terrain in the shortest possible time. A number of studies have investigated
the body’s physiological adaptations to the stress caused during competition, but
not the immunological changes. To that end, the present study evaluated the immunological,
physiological and pathological responses in athletes performing high-intensity physical
exercise during an orienteering race. The 30 athletes tested belonged to the elite
orienteering category and participated in the regional championship. Cortisol levels
were determined before and after the competition to assess stress response, as were
the cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 to evaluate the immune
response. Cortisol levels increased after the competition, indicating a stress condition.
IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-10 levels also rose post competition. The results indicate that
orienteers are exposed to high stress levels, and that this condition affects their
immune and endocrine systems, triggering a predominantly anti-inflammatory response,
likely an athlete’s mechanism of adaptation to the stress imposed by high-intensity
physical exercise.
Key words
cytokines - cortisol - endurance race - orienteering
