Acute effects of heavy resistance exercise on biomarkers of neuroendocrine-immune regulation in healthy adults: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: The nervous system integrates the immune system in the systemic effort to maintain or restore the organism's homeostasis. Acute bouts of exercise may alter the activity of specific pathways associated with neuroendocrine regulation of the immune system.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the acute effects of heavy resistance exercise on biomarkers of neuroendocrine-immune regulation in healthy adults.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Web of Science and SportDiscus with no date restrictions up to March 2021. Clinical trials in English or German were included if they measured the blood plasma or serum concentrations of specific biomarkers of neuroendocrine-immune regulation (adrenaline, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), cortisol, growth hormone, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance p, serotonin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) or glia-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)) in a resting state prior to and no later than 60 minutes after an acute bout of heavy resistance exercise in healthy adults.

RESULTS: 7801 records were identified through literature search, of which 36 studies, with a total of 58 intervention groups, met the inclusion criteria. Evidence was found that an acute bout of heavy resistance exercise increased the levels of adrenaline (median: 185%), noradrenaline (median: 113%) and GH (median: 265%) immediately after the exercise. Mixed results were found for cortisol (median: 0%), suggesting that its response might be more sensitive to the configuration of the exercise scheme. The limited evidence regarding the effects on BDNF and ACTH allows no firm conclusions to be drawn about their response to heavy resistance exercise. The vast majority of the included studies reported a return of the biomarker concentrations to their baseline value within one hour after the termination of the exercise bout. No studies were identified that investigated the response of acetylcholine, VIP, CGRP, substance p, serotonin, NGF or GDNF to heavy resistance exercise.

CONCLUSIONS: A bout of heavy resistance exercise alters the circulating concentrations of selected biomarkers of neuroendocrine-immune regulation. Both subject characteristics, such as sex as well as exercise parameters, such as rest intervals appear to have the potential to influence these effects.