Abstract
Low-grade inflammation, which is related to obesity and toxic substance use in young adults, may be associated with poor physical fitness. We investigated the association between total leukocyte count and physical fitness in a military cohort of 3,453 healthy young Taiwanese males aged 20–50 years in a cross-sectional study in 2014. Low-grade inflammation was defined according to equally sized quartiles of total leukocyte counts within the suggested normal limits (4.00–9.99 × 103/mm3). Aerobic fitness was assessed by the time for a 3-kilometer run test, and anaerobic fitness was evaluated by the numbers of sit-ups and push-ups performed in 2 minutes. Automatic monitoring systems were used to verify the scores for all procedures. Multiple linear regression was utilized to identify the associations among variables. When compared with the lowest counts (4.00–5.49 × 103/mm3), the second highest (6.50–7.49 × 103/mm3) and highest normal leukocyte counts (7.50–9.99 × 103/mm3) were correlated with longer times for a 3-kilometer run (β and 95% confidence intervals =4.93 (1.61, 8.25) and 4.65 (2.20, 7.10), respectively) and fewer numbers of push-ups performed in 2 minutes (β = −0.59 (−1.15, −0.03) and −0.56 (−0.96, −0.17), respectively), after adjustments for age, service specialty, waist circumference, body mass index, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and physical activity. However, the association with 2-minute sit-ups was null. Our study suggested an inverse association between total leukocyte count and not only aerobic fitness but also parts of anaerobic fitness in young males. The temporal association needs confirmation in longitudinal studies.
Highlights
Low-grade inflammation usually refers to a mild upregulation of cytokine and leukocyte levels in the blood[1,2], and it is related to a more pronounced activation state of immune cells[3]
Since physical fitness is highly related to the performance of exercises, we aimed to investigate the association of low-grade
There were differences in the numbers of push-ups and sit-ups in 2 minutes and the time for a 3000-meter run test among the four groups in model 1 to model 3, indicating a trend towards low physical fitness and high leukocyte counts within normal limits hat is independent of age and body adiposity
Summary
Low-grade inflammation usually refers to a mild upregulation of cytokine and leukocyte levels in the blood[1,2], and it is related to a more pronounced activation state of immune cells[3]. Exposure to toxic substances such as tobacco smoke and alcohol beverages can activate innate immunity[8], leading to systemic inflammation. Mental stress, such as anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder, could increase high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and decrease adiponectin concentrations, where adiponectin is known as a cardio-protective marker[9,10]. Systemic low-grade inflammation in young adults is mainly associated with great body adiposity and habitual toxic substance use, and it is not evaluated in large population studies. Since physical fitness is highly related to the performance of exercises, we aimed to investigate the association of low-grade www.nature.com/scientificreports inflammation with aerobic and anaerobic fitness in a large military cohort of healthy young male adults who participated in annual exercise tests in eastern Taiwan
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