Nonapplicable clinical trial

The goal of this research is to determine how the peripheral immune system is altered by exercise and differences related to gender, pubertal status and health.

SPECIFIC AIMS:

1. To systematically measure for the first time in healthy children and adolescents the effects of brief bouts of exercise on:

   1. Numbers of circulating PMBCs, their subsets and key intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs).
   2. PBMC gene regulation of stress, inflammatory, and growth/repair mediators [including: interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma), growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), heat shock proteins (Hsp)].
   3. Circulating (serum) and intracellular PBMC levels of key mediators by flow cytometry and cell culture techniques.
   4. Circulating endogenous triggers of PBMC mediator responses-soluble Hsp, IL-6, and F2-isoprostanes.

2. To determine how the acute PBMC responses are altered by gender, pubertal status, body composition (measured by whole-body and regional DEXA), and fitness (measured by progressive cycle ergometry and gas exchange).

3. To determine the relationship in healthy children and adolescents among acute PBMC responses to exercise, biochemical precursors of the metabolic syndrome (insulin, glucose, lipids), and the balance of the TH1/TH2 immune response.

Inclusion Criteria:

• appropriate Tanner Stage
• No evidence of disease or disability

Exclusion Criteria:

• no use of antiinflammatory medications, alcohol, illegal drugs or bronchodilators
• elite children participating in extensive exercise or dance programs
• pregnant

Early and late pubertal boys and girls recruited from Orange County, CA