Effects of continuous moderate training on immune and metabolic parameters of rats supplemented with maltodextrin

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of continuous moderate exercise on the differential and total count leukocyte, serum glucose concentration and lipid levels of rats supplemented and not supplemented with carbohydrate solution. To this purpose, thirty-five male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: sedentary non-supplemented (n = 10) and supplemented (n = 8), trained in continuous moderate aerobic exercise non-supplemented (n = 9) and supplemented (n = 8). The training of continuous swimming was developed during six week with 3% body weight overload. For five days the animals were supplemented with 0.48 g.kg-1 maltodextrin daily dose dissolved in water or pure water. Moderate exercise caused a significant decrease in blood glucose (p < 0.001) and in the number of blood lymphocytes (p < 0.01). Additionally, the maltodextrin significantly increased the number of lymphocytes of trained animals (p < 0.03). There was no effect of training and maltodextrin on the lipid profile. The results allowed to conclude that with six weeks of training it was possible to cause a drop in the number of lymphocytes and in the concentration of serum glucose, but with five days of supplementation the decline in the lymphocyte count was attenuated without, however, cause elevations in the lipid profile.