The effect of 24 hours of sleep deprivation on the plasma level of inflammatory cytokines following an exhausting exercise in elite athletes

Authors
Kamran Rafieemoghadam 1
Sedigheh Hosseinpour Delavar 1
Naser Behpoor 2
Mohamad Jalilvand 3
1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
2 Department of Exercise Physiology, Sport Science Faculty, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
3 Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction

Athletes may experience sleep deprivation for a variety of reasons. Sleep deprivation can disrupt the immune system. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of 24 hours of sleep deprivation on the plasma level of inflammatory cytokines following an exhausting exercise in elite athletes.

Materials and Methods

This research was a quasi-experimental study, and a pre-test- post-test design with a control group, was used to perform it. Twenty-four members of the national youth and adult water polo teams were present in the national team camps in the spring of 1400, and members of water polo league teams were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups. Both groups performed an exhausting exercise protocol (Bruce test) in the pre-test. One week after the pre-test period, the experimental group spent 24 hours under sleep deprivation, while the control group followed the same regular sleep program and did not change their sleep program, and the two groups performed the exhausting training protocol again. Analysis of variance with repeated measures, paired t test and independent t-test were used for inferential analysis.

Results

The results of the present study showed that 24 hours of sleep deprivation has a significant effect on TNF-α (sig=0.001, F=8.442) and IL-6 (sig=0.001, F=6.340), of elite athletes following an exhausting exercise.

Conclusion

Exhausting physical activity after sleep deprivation causes an increase in TNF-α and IL-6, and this confirms previous researches that have reported the effect of sleep deprivation on various physiological and functional indicators in athletes.
Keywords
Sleep deprivation
sport
exhausting exercise
Inflammation
Tumor necrosis factor alpha
interleukin-6
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