RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effects of rugby sevens matches on human neutrophil-related non-specific immunity
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 13
OP 18
DO 10.1136/bjsm.2006.027888
VO 41
IS 1
A1 I Takahashi
A1 T Umeda
A1 T Mashiko
A1 D Chinda
A1 T Oyama
A1 K Sugawara
A1 S Nakaji
YR 2007
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/41/1/13.abstract
AB Aims: To evaluate the influences of the accumulative effect of two consecutive rugby sevens matches (Sevens) on aspects of human neutrophil-related non-specific immunity. Methods: In seven players participating in the Japan Sevens, neutrophil reactive oxygen species (ROS) production capability and phagocytic activity were measured using flow cytometry, and serum opsonic activity (SOA) was assessed by measuring neutrophil ROS using the peak height of lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence before and after two consecutive matches. Results: ROS showed no change immediately after the first match, and had significantly (P<0.05) increased 4 h later, but showed a decrease after the second match. Phagocytic activity showed no change immediately after the first match, but had significantly (P<0.01) decreased 4 h later, and showed a further decrease after the second match, although it was not significant. SOA significantly (P<0.01) increased after the first match, and still maintained its high 4 h later, but decreased after the second match. ROS production capability, phagocytic activity and SOA significantly (P<0.01) decreased after the second match. Conclusions: When rugby players play two consecutive Sevens matches, the exercise loading is thought to be hard, similar to that experienced during a marathon race and intensive or long training in a training camp, although the expected changes were not seen after the first match. Differences between after the first and the second matches may be due to the “cumulative effect”.