1.
Disgust elevates core body temperature and up-regulates certain oral immune markers.
Stevenson, RJ, Hodgson, D, Oaten, MJ, Moussavi, M, Langberg, R, Case, TI, Barouei, J
Brain, behavior, and immunity. 2012;(7):1160-8
Abstract
Recent findings suggest that disgust can activate particular aspects of the immune system. In this study we examine whether disgust can also elevate core body temperature (BT), a further feature of an immune response to disease. In addition, we also examined whether food based disgust--a core eliciting stimulus--may be a more potent immune stimulus than non-food based disgust. Healthy males were randomly assigned to view one of four sets of images--food disgust, non-food disgust, food control and negative emotion control. Measures of BT, salivary immune and related markers, and self-report data, were collected before, and at two time points after image viewing. Disgust elevated BT relative to the negative emotion control condition, as did food images. Different mechanisms appeared to account for these effects on BT, with higher initial levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-a) and disgust, predictive of BT increases in the disgust conditions. Disgust also increased TNF-a, and albumin levels, relative to the control conditions. Type of disgust exerted little effect. These findings further support the idea that disgust impacts upon immune function, and that disgust serves primarily a disease avoidance function.
2.
Carbohydrate gel ingestion and immunoendocrine responses to cycling in temperate and hot conditions.
Peake, J, Peiffer, JJ, Abbiss, CR, Nosaka, K, Laursen, PB, Suzuki, K
International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2008;(3):229-46
Abstract
PURPOSE Heat stress might attenuate the effects of carbohydrate on immunoendocrine responses to exercise by increasing endogenous glucose production and reducing the rate of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation. The authors compared the efficacy of carbohydrate consumption on immune responses to exercise in temperate vs. hot conditions. METHODS Ten male cyclists exercised on 2 separate occasions in temperate (18.1 +/- 0.4 degrees C, 58% +/- 8% relative humidity) and on another 2 occasions in hot conditions (32.2 +/- 0.7 degrees C, 55% +/- 2% relative humidity). On each occasion, the cyclists exercised in a fed state for 90 min at approximately 60% VO2max and then completed a 16.1-km time trial. Every 15 min during the first 90 min of exercise, they consumed 0.24 g/kg body mass of a carbohydrate or placebo gel. RESULTS Neutrophil counts increased during exercise in all trials (p < .05) and were significantly lower (40%, p = .006) after the carbohydrate than after the placebo trial in 32 degrees C. The concentrations of serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10 and plasma granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor, myeloperoxidase, and calprotectin also increased during exercise in all trials but did not differ significantly between the carbohydrate and placebo trials. Plasma norepinephrine concentration increased during exercise in all trials and was significantly higher (50%, p = .01) after the carbohydrate vs. the placebo trial in 32 degrees C. CONCLUSION Carbohydrate ingestion attenuated neutrophil counts during exercise in hot conditions, whereas it had no effect on any other immune variables in either temperate or hot conditions.