Increased Serum C-reactive Protein Concentrations After High Volume Resistance Exercise

Abstract

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of inflammation. The acute effect of resistance exercise on CRP is unclear. PURPOSE: To examine the effect of high volume resistance exercise on serum CRP concentrations. METHODS: Following University Ethical Advisory Committee approval, nine healthy males (aged 20.8 ± 0.05 years, height 1.81 ± 0.06 m, body mass 79.4 ± 11.5 kg, mean ± SD) completed two trials, exercise and control, one-week apart. The order of the trials was randomized and balanced. On the exercise trial participants reported to the laboratory at 09:00 h and performed five, 45-min bouts of weight lifting. Each bout consisted of 4 sets of 15 repetitions of 5 different exercises at 30–40% of one repetition maximum. There was a 15 min rest interval after the first two bouts, a 105 min lunch break after bout three and a 15 min rest interval between bouts four and five. Serum CRP concentrations were determined before exercise (09:00 h), immediately after the last bout of exercise (15:30 h) and on the day after exercise (08:00 h, 11:00 h and 14:00 h) using a high sensitivity CRP assay. On the control trial participants were inactive and serum CRP was measured at corresponding times to the exercise trial. RESULTS: Baseline serum CRP concentrations did not differ between trials (paired t-test, P=0.149) but the pattern of CRP response differed over time (repeated measures ANOVA, trial × time interaction, P=0.028) indicating elevated serum CRP post exercise (Table).Table: Serum CRP concentrations (mg-L-1) on a control and resistance exercise trial.CONCLUSION: High volume resistance exercise may lead to elevations in serum CRP concentrations. Further study is needed to determine if smaller volumes of resistance exercise produce a similar effect.