The purpose of training for the athletes is to improve physical capacity in order to achieve the best performance in competitions. For this reason, they constantly look for updated training methods. One important aspect in a training program is the rest period between exercise sessions, which is important to promote physiological adaptations such as morphological alterations and fuel store overcompensation. The release of glutamine by skeletal muscles is increased during exercise activities. As a consequence, the content of glutamine in the muscle decreases after a strenuous exercise session. This amino acid, however, plays an important role in leukocyte functioning (lymphocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils). Therefore, after heavy and intense exercising, plasma glutamine levels decrease, impairing immune function and leading the subject to become more susceptible to respiratory infections. In this review, the implications of exercise on skeletal muscles and leukocytes metabolism are discussed.
Exercise; Immune function; Glutamine; Leukocytes; Infection
