Abstract
Nasal breathing (NB) is gaining popularity in exercise routines to enhance performance and overall health. However, its effects on intracellular and extracellular inflammatory cytokines, which are crucial to the immune response, remain unclear. PURPOSE: This study examined the acute responses of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs – representing intracellular cytokines) and plasma (representing extracellular cytokines) following maximal aerobic exercise with NB. METHODS: Eleven physically healthy, sedentary men (age = 20.63±1.36, BMI=26.03±3.16 kg/m2, and VO2max = 32.60±6.46 mL/kg/min) were randomly assigned to either the NB (N=6) or the combined (control) breathing (CB, N=5) group. Both groups performed maximal aerobic exercise on a recumbent bike. Blood samples were collected in EDTA-containing vacutainer tubes before and immediately after maximal exercise to assess changes in pro- (IL-6 and IL-1β) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in plasma and PBMCs. PBMCs were isolated using density gradient centrifugation over Lymphoprep. RESULTS: The concentrations of intracellular cytokines were significantly lower than those of extracellular cytokines. For instance, the intracellular IL-6 was 1.92±1.55 pg/mL, while the extracellular IL-6 was 10.10±9.3 pg/mL (p=0.001). The intracellular IL-10 (2.55±1.41 pg/mL) was 7 times lower than the extracellular IL-10 (18.18±17.66 pg/mL, p=0.008), and the intracellular IL-1β was 0.80±0.82 pg/mL, whereas the extracellular IL-1β was 17.73±16.77 pg/mL (p=0.004). Although no differences were observed in IL-10 and IL-1β between the NB and CB groups following maximal exercise, the intracellular IL-6 was significantly lower (p=0.029) in the NB (1.24±1.27 pg/mL) than in the CB (2.79 ± 1.5 pg/mL) group. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that intracellular cytokine concentrations were lower than extracellular cytokine levels. This discrepancy likely results from the accumulation of secreted cytokines in plasma, derived from multiple cellular and tissue sources, systemic pooling, and the transient presence of cytokines within PBMCs. Additionally, the decrease in intracellular IL-1β levels following exercise with nasal breathing (NB) suggests potential immune health benefits. Further research is necessary to validate and extend these findings across various exercise modalities and diverse populations.
Recommended Citation
Castillo, Camilia L.; Moris, Jose M.; and Koh, Yunsuk
(2025)
"Potential Immune Health Benefits of Nasal Breathing Exercise on Inflammatory Cytokines in Plasma and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
17, Article 158.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss17/158
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Health and Physical Education Commons, Medical Education Commons, Sports Sciences Commons