T Cell Responses to Various Levels of Exercise Stress

Effects of High- and Moderate-intensity Exercise on T Cell Function in Healthy Young Men

The objective of this project is to quantify the immunoendocrine response to acute stress events combining both physical and psychological challenges. This work will serve as a pilot project examining differential stress induction in response to exercise. Participants will have an instructor with prior military training lead a two-hour training session for 10 recreationally fit male volunteers. You will be randomly assigned to a high-intensity training group to participate in the "military style" training and a low-intensity training group who will participate in a low-intensity cardiovascular training protocol. Blood samples will be collected from you prior to and following the exercise session and these samples will be analyzed for endocrine measures as well as markers of immune function to include chemokines and cytokines.

All subjects will be screened using a health-history questionnaire for contradictions to exercise by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines

Inclusion Criteria:

• Recreationally active
• Between the ages of 18-40,
• Healthy
• Non-obese (BMI <28 kg/m2)
• Non-smoking
• Free of metabolic or cardiovascular diseases.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unhealed Fractures
• Thrombophlebitis (blood clots)
• Recent Surgery (within the last three months)
• Recent Uncontrolled Bruising
• Osteomyelitis (acute or chronic bone infection)
• Myositis Ossificans (hardened scarring in muscle tissue of the thigh).