INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE TO STRENUOUS MUSCULAR EXERCISE IN MAN

BASED on the humoral and cellular changes occurring during strenuous m uscular work in humans, the concept of inflammatory response to exerci se (IRE) is developed. The main indices of IRE consist of signs of an acute phase response, leucocytosis and leucocyte activation, release o f inflammatory mediators, tissue damage and cellular infiltrates, prod uction of free radicals, activation of complement, and coagulation and fibrinolytic pathways. Depending on exercise intensity and duration, it seems likely that muscle and/or associated connective tissue damage , contact system activation due to shear stress on endothelium and end otoxaemia could be the triggering mechanisms of IRE. Although this phe nomenon can be considered in most cases as a physiological process ass ociated with tissue repair, exaggerated IRE could have physiopathologi cal consequences. On the other hand, the influence of several factors such as age, sex, training, hormonal status, nutrition, anti-inflammat ory drugs, and the extent to which IRE could be a potential risk for s ubjects undergoing intense physical training require further study.