Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is hazardous to health. On the other hand, performing exercises regularly has health benefits. The plasma cytokine levels get altered with exercise. Cytokines modulate the activity of immune system. Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha is a pro-inflammatory cytokine. Methods: The effect of single bout of moderate exercise and a single bout of strenuous exercise and one month of regular moderate exercise on plasma TNF- #x3B1; level was estimated. 24 healthy non-obese subjects (15 males and 9 females) with mean age, 20.81years and mean BMI; 21.49 #xB1; 1.23 kg/m2 were recruited. 8 obese, but otherwise healthy individuals (5 males and 3 females) with mean age 20.92 years, mean BMI; 31.78 #xB1; 3.38 kg/m2 were inducted into the study. Age range of subjects in both groups was 18-25 years. Standardized 10m Shuttle Walk Test regime was used for performing the exercise. Plasma TNF-#x3B1; was measured by Sandwich ELISA technique. The reagent kit used was from Duoset ELISA Development System (R D Systems Europe Ltd). The readings were taken at 450nm using Organon Teknika Reader 230S. Statistical methods: Repeated measures ANOVA was used to find the differences in TNF-α level with different grades of exercise. Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction was employed to compare the cytokine levels between the 2 groups. Results: Amongst the non-obese, mean and SD values of TNF-α (in picograms per ml) for baseline (no exercise) was: 9.79 ± 1.15, for acute moderate exercise: 13.98 ± 2.66, for acute strenuous exercise: 48.28 ± 5.90 and after one month of regular moderate exercise: 5.89 ± 0.45. Amongst the obese, the TNF-α level were as follows: baseline; 14.57 #xB1; 2.36, acute moderate exercise; 45.50 #xB1; 15.77, acute strenuous exercise; 95.82 #xB1; 4.16, and at end on one month of regular moderate exercise; 13.30 #xB1; 2.76. TNF-#x3B1; level showed significant difference between; a) baseline and moderate exercise, b) baseline and strenuous exercise, c) moderate and strenuous exerci