HIGH INTENSITY EXERCISE INDUCED ALTERATION OF HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE IN SEDENTARY PREPUBERTAL AND POSTPUBERTAL BOYS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of high intensity incremental running exercise induced perturbations of haematological profile in sedentary prepubertal (n=32, age = 10.21 ± 0.14 years) and postpubertal (n=32, age = 15.58 ± 0.10 years) boys. Blood samples were collected before and immediately after exercise to assess hematological parameters like RBC count, WBC count, haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, absoluted relative count of lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil and basophil. The baseline RBC count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and haematocrit increased significantly as a function of age with attainment of puberty while total resting WBC count, absolute and relative lymphocyte and monocyte count declined steadily with increase in age. Blood RBC count, Hb concentration and haematocrit did not change significantly after exercise in both the groups. However, high intensity exercise stress resulted in significant increase in total leukocyte count in both the groups. The postpubertal boys reported significantly higher leucocytosis as compared to the prepubertal boys. The magnitude of lymphocytosis and neutrophilia was also significantly higher in postpubertal boys as evident from significantly higher percentage increase in absolute lymphocyte and neutrophil count. Significant positive correlation of age with percentage increase in absolute lymphocyte and neutrophil count indicated that the rate of mobilization of lymphocyte and neutrophil in response to exercise increased with advancement of age. However, the extent of monocyte trafficking into circulation following exercise was significantly higher in prepubertal boys and the extent of exercise induced monocytosis decreased with age. The relative proportion of lymphocyte in total leukocyte count was significantly higher in prepubertal boys while relative neutrophil count in total white blood cells remained significantly higher in postpubertal boys both before and after exercise. Despite of having higher absolute and relative neutrophil count than the prepubertal boys, the relative neutrophil count in postpubertal boys decreased in response to exercise stress possibly on account of comparatively higher rate of lymphocytosis as opposed to magnitude of neutrophilia after exercise in this group. Although exercise resulted in significant eosinophlia and basophilia in both the groups, pubertal transition seems to have no influence on exercise induced trafficking of these two variables. Therefore, the present investigation depicted that the postpubertal boys might be comparatively more prone to exercise induced perturbations in blood cell count than the prepubertal boys on account of higher rate of leucocytosis mediated by significantly higher lymphocytosis and neutrophila.