Abstract
Acute or strenuous exercise is sometimes related to upper respiratory tract infections in athletes. Practicing intense and regular exercise can lead to incorrect activation of the immune system, causing athletes to be excluded from training programs and competitions. Defensins are small antimicrobial peptides that are part of the innate immune system and dynamically involved in several biological activities. In this study, we highlight the role of human defensins in competitive basketball athletes. In particular, we consider the behavior of alpha- and beta-defensins together with white blood cells in a cohort of players. Moreover, we focus our attention on cortisol, a physiological indicator of stress, and testosterone, both of which are human hormones involved in muscle metabolism. The free-testosterone/cortisol ratio is considered to be an indicator of overtraining among athletes. This paper provides an up-to-date information of the role of human defensins as self-defense molecules during a continuous stressor such as long-term exercise, and it recognizes them as potential markers of infection.
Highlights
Several studies have suggested that physical activity induces considerable physiological changes within the immune system [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Comparison of Inflammatory Indices we evaluated four inflammatory indices [29,49] by analyzing and comparing neutrophil/lymphocyte shed light on how professional physical activity influences cell/muscle
Our study indicated that during intense and prolonged physical activity, the human body puts in place a series of defense and adaptation mechanisms to combat a prolonged stress state that could be harmful to both the respiratory and muscular systems
Summary
Several studies have suggested that physical activity induces considerable physiological changes within the immune system [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Human defensins are small peptides (29–34 amino acids) that belong to the human immune system. They represent a significant family of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Human defensins are organized into two classes, alpha and beta [8], based on the distance between the cysteine residues and the topology of the disulfide bridges. Human alpha-defensins are small molecules isolated from human blood, and they are mainly expressed by neutrophils [9,10]; as a result, they are called human neutrophil peptides (HPN1-4).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
