Immune System Modulation in Response to Strength Training With Blood Flow Restriction

de Souza, TSP, de S. Pfeiffer, PA, do N. Pereira, J, Pereira Neto, EA, Dutra, TS, de Mendonca, MGL, and Cirilo-Sousa, MS. Immune system modulation in response to strength training with blood flow restriction. J Strength Cond Res 36(8): 2156-2161, 2022-This study aimed to compare strength training with blood flow restriction (ST-BFR) with multiple-set training at different intensities (30% of repetition maximum [1RM] and 75% of 1RM) for their effect on immunoinflammatory responses (total leukocytes, segmented neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, and lymphocyte subpopulations). It is a randomized experimental study with a repeated-measures design with intergroup and intragroup effects of a strength training session. Eighteen physically active adults aged 20-31 years (26.17 +/- 3.7 years), apparently healthy, performed a strength training session with 2 exercises. Six milliliters of blood was collected before training, immediately after training, and at 30 minutes and 24 hours after the session to perform analyses. The results showed that strength training could promote modulation (time effect) in the leukocyte count (F = 25.86, p < 0.01, eta(2) = 0.74), regardless of the method used. Neutrophils (F = 22.71, p < 0.01, eta(2) = 0.60), especially TCD4+ lymphocytes (F = 6.33, p < 0.05, eta(2) = 0, 3), were the main factors responsible for this variation. Despite the similarity, there were differences between the methods in modulations of total leukocytes (F = 4.16, p < 0.05, eta(2) = 0.36) and neutrophils (F = 4.80, p < 0.05, eta(2) = 0.39). In conclusion, compared with the multiple-set training, ST-BFR produces immunoinflammatory responses similar to low-intensity training and different from high-intensity training. However, the demargination process of some cells was different depending on the method and intensity used. Nevertheless, these variations are compatible with an appropriate recovery process because of the amplitude and length of modulation curves of leukocytes, and lymphocyte subpopulations were not compatible with immunosuppression.

Automated summary

This study aimed to compare the immunoinflammatory responses of strength training with blood flow restriction (ST-BFR) to multiple-set training at different intensities. The results showed that strength training, regardless of the method used, could modulate leukocyte count, with neutrophils and TCD4+ lymphocytes being the main factors responsible for this variation. Compared to multiple-set training, ST-BFR produced similar immunoinflammatory responses to low-intensity training.