Effect of 4-week High Intensity Training on Immune Function of Weight Lifters

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of high intensity training on serum testosterone, cortisol and immune function of weight lifters.4-week intensive training was carried out.METHODS: The subjects of this experiment are 12 weight lifters.The training loads in the 4 weeks were set respectively around 75%, 80%, 80% and 85% of maximum heart rate of each subjects, training 5 days and a half each week.Strength training was on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings, movement training in the other sessions.Subjects were training together and instructed by full-time coaches in the whole training process.Blood samples were drawn in the second week, before and after 4-week high intensity training.Serum testosterone, serum cortisol, hemoglobin and the percentage of lymphocyte subpopulations were determined.RESULTS: After 4week high intensity training, T had a significant decrease compared with that before the training and that in the second week (P<0.01).C had a significant increase compared with that before the 4-week high intensity training (P<0.01) and had no significant change compared with that of the second week (P>0.05).T/C ratio had a significant decrease compared with that before the 4-week high intensity training (P<0.01).Hemoglobin and CD4 ％ had a significant decrease compared with that before the 4-week high intensity training (P<0.05).CD8％ had no significant change compared with that in the second week and before the 4-week high intensity training (P>0.05).CD4/CD8 ratio had a significant decrease compared with that before the 4-week high intensity training (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The high intensity training may result in a significant decrease of T, T/C ratio, CD4, CD4/CD8 ratio and hemoglobin.During sports training, T/C and CD4/CD8 ratio can be used for monitoring athletes' body functions, which is distinctively meaningful for determining and preventing over-fatigue of athletes.