Comparison of the Effects of Aerobic-Anaerobic Exercises on Hormonal and Immune Biomarkers

Official title

Comparison of the Effects of Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises on Hormonal and Immune Biomarkers Measured by Blood and Saliva in Young Individuals

Overview

This study aims to compare the effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on hormonal, immunological, and metabolic biomarkers in young individuals using blood and saliva samples. It will also assess participants' physical activity levels, depression levels, and general lifestyle habits to explore their relationship with biomarker profiles. Biomarkers such as testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, IgA, alpha-amylase, insulin, lactate, and various inflammatory cytokines will be measured using ELISA. The study seeks to evaluate the physiological and psychosocial effects of different types of exercise in a holistic manner.

Detailed description

Exercise is a complex stimulus that induces multifaceted effects on an individual's physiological and psychological systems. Aerobic and anaerobic types of exercise differ in terms of their energy production pathways and metabolic responses in the body. Aerobic exercises are long-duration, oxygen-dependent activities, while anaerobic exercises are short-duration, high-intensity activities that activate oxygen-independent energy systems.

These types of exercise cause various hormonal, immunological, and metabolic changes in the body. After exercise, significant changes are observed in biomarkers such as stress hormones (cortisol, progesterone), anabolic hormones (testosterone), immune system markers (IgA, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-4), and metabolic parameters (amylase, insulin, lactate). The fact that these parameters can be measured from both blood and saliva samples has increased the use of non-invasive methods in exercise physiology studies.

The level of physical activity is directly related not only to biological systems but also to an individual's psychological health and lifestyle habits. Research shows that regular physical activity reduces levels of depression and improves quality of life. The positive effects of exercise on the immune system become more significant when considered in conjunction with an individual's general lifestyle habits (nutrition, sleep, stress levels, substance use, etc.). It is particularly known that individuals with depression have high cortisol levels and suppressed IgA levels. Therefore, depression levels and lifestyle habits are important variables that affect the physiological responses to exercise.

This study will compare the effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on hormonal, immunological, and metabolic biomarkers measured via blood and saliva samples in young individuals. Additionally, the participants' physical activity levels, depression levels, and general lifestyle habits will be evaluated to explore the relationship between these variables and biomarker profiles. Measurements will include levels of testosterone, progesterone, cortisol, IgA, alpha-amylase, insulin, lactate, and various inflammatory cytokines, assessed using the ELISA method. In this way, the biological effects of different types of exercise will be evaluated from both physiological and psychosocial perspectives.

The main aim of this study is to comparatively examine the effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercises on hormonal, immunological, and metabolic biomarkers measured through blood and saliva samples in young individuals. Additionally, the relationship between the participants' physical activity level, depression level, and general lifestyle habits (nutrition, sleep patterns, substance use, etc.) with these biomarkers will be investigated, as well as the potential modulatory effects on the physiological responses to exercise.

Interventions

• Device Treadmill Exercise
  Participants in this group will perform an aerobic exercise using the Bruce Protocol on a treadmill. The test involves walking or running with gradually increasing speed and incline in predefined stages to assess cardiovascular endurance. Heart rate, blood pressure, and fatigue levels will be recorded at each stage. The session will conclude with a low-intensity cool-down phase.
• Device Bicycle Exercise
  The Wingate Anaerobic Test will be conducted using an ergometer bike. After a standardized warm-up, participants will pedal all-out for 30 seconds against a preset resistance, aiming to evaluate their anaerobic performance. Physiological parameters including power output, heart rate, and oxygen saturation will be monitored throughout the test.

Primary outcome measures

• Change in Salivary Testosterone Level [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline and immediately post-exercise Unit of Measure: pg/mL]
• Change in Salivary Cortisol Level [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline (pre-exercise) and immediately post-exercise (within 1 hour) Unit of Measure: ng/mL]
• Change in Salivary Progesterone Level [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline and immediately post-exercise Unit of Measure: pg/mL]
• Change in Salivary Alpha-Amylase Activity [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline and post-exercise Unit of Measure: U/mL]
• Change in Blood Lactate Level [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline and post-exercise Unit of Measure: µIU/mL]
• Change in Serum Cytokine Levels (e.g., IL-6, TNF-α) [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline and immediately post-exercise Unit of Measure: pg/mL]
• Change in Salivary Immunoglobulin A (IgA) [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline and post-exercise Unit of Measure: µg/mL]

Secondary outcome measures (2)

• Change in Depression Score (Beck Depression Inventory-II) [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) and post-intervention (within 1 hour after final session) Unit of Measure: Score (range: 0-63) Method of Measurement: Self-reported questionnaire]
• Change in Physical Activity Level (IPAQ-Short Form) [Time frame: Time Frame: Baseline and post-intervention Unit of Measure: MET-minutes/week]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Being a university student,
• Being between the ages of 18 and 25.

Exclusion criteria

• Having orthopedic problems that prevent exercise,
• Having cognitive or mental health problems that prevent participation in exercise,
• Having chronic systemic diseases such as cardiac, pulmonary, or nephrological.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Health services research

Study locations

Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.

Publications

• Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Jenkins NDM, Arent SM, Antonio J, Stout JR, Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Goldstein ER, Kalman DS, Campbell BI. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Jan 2;18(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4. PMID 33388079
• Pedersen BK, Hoffman-Goetz L. Exercise and the immune system: regulation, integration, and adaptation. Physiol Rev. 2000 Jul;80(3):1055-81. doi: 10.1152/physrev.2000.80.3.1055. PMID 10893431
• Gleeson M. Immune function in sport and exercise. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2007 Aug;103(2):693-9. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00008.2007. Epub 2007 Feb 15. PMID 17303714
• Mikkelsen K, Stojanovska L, Polenakovic M, Bosevski M, Apostolopoulos V. Exercise and mental health. Maturitas. 2017 Dec;106:48-56. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003. Epub 2017 Sep 7. PMID 29150166
• Schuch FB, Vancampfort D, Firth J, Rosenbaum S, Ward PB, Silva ES, Hallgren M, Ponce De Leon A, Dunn AL, Deslandes AC, Fleck MP, Carvalho AF, Stubbs B. Physical Activity and Incident Depression: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Am J Psychiatry. 2018 Jul 1;175(7):631-648. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17111194. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID 29690792

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07092969 · 2 · 308-2025

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗