Lower white blood cell counts in elite athletes training for highly aerobic sports.
Summary of "Lower white blood cell counts in elite athletes training for highly aerobic sports."
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.
Affiliation
Australian Sports Commission, Australian Institute of Sport, Sport Science and Sport Medicine, Bruce, ACT, Australia, peggy.horn@ausport.gov.au.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: European journal of applied physiology
ISSN: 1439-6327
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20640439
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1573-9
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Leukocyte Count
The number of WHITE BLOOD CELLS per unit volume in venous BLOOD. A differential leukocyte count measures the relative numbers of the different types of white cells.
Mink
Carnivores of genus Mustela of the family MUSTELIDAE. The European mink, which has white upper and lower lips, was widely trapped for commercial purposes and is classified as endangered. The American mink, lacking a white upper lip, is farmed commercially.
Training Support
Financial support for training including both student stipends and loans and training grants to institutions.
Hemorheology
The deformation and flow behavior of BLOOD and its elements i.e., PLASMA; ERYTHROCYTES; WHITE BLOOD CELLS; and BLOOD PLATELETS.
Blood Buffy Coat
The fraction of a blood sample, following CENTRIFUGATION, that is distinguished as a thin light-colored layer between the RED BLOOD CELLS, underneath it, and the PLASMA, above it. It is composed mostly of WHITE BLOOD CELLS and PLATELETS.
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