The effect of fasting and physical exercise on serum levels of selected cytokines in middle-aged individuals ‒ pilot study

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The effect of fasting and physical exercise on serum levels of selected cytokines in middle-aged individuals ‒ pilot study

The obtained data suggest that fasting and physical exercise can selectively modulate the immune response, particularly by affecting cytokines involved in leukocyte recruitment.

Details: Category: 2025, Volume 21; 06 July 2025; Hits: 713

Piotr Jan Bramora¹, Paweł Dolibog², Jolanta Zalejska–Fiolka³ , Rafał Tabęcki⁴, Marek Kruszewski⁴, Artur Kruszewski⁴,Karol Krzysztof Pilis⁵

¹ Jan Dlugosz University, W. Bieganski Collegium Medicum, Department of Physiology, Neurophysiology with the Laboratory of Psychiatry, Czestochowa, Poland.
² Medical University of Silesia, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Biophysics, Zabrze, Poland
³ Medical University of Silesia, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Zabrze, Poland
⁴ Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Department of Individual Sports, Warsaw, Poland
⁵ Jan Dlugosz University, W. Bieganski Collegium Medicum, Department of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, Czestochowa, Poland.

*Author for correspondence: Piotr Jan Bramora; Jan Dlugosz University, W. Bieganski Collegium Medicum, Department of Physiology, Neurophysiology with the Laboratory of Psychiatry, Czestochowa, Poland; Send to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Piotr Jan Bramora: : https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9235-3174

Paweł Dolibog: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4781-5162

Jolanta Zalejska – Fiolka: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3879-6548

Rafał Tabęcki: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9868-7271

Marek Kruszewski: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9476-0016

Artur Kruszewski: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3930-7304

Karol Krzysztof Pilis: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9174-1231

Abstract

Background and Study Aim: In the era of global health and social threats, innovative agonology offers a unique approach to sustainable psychosocial development also referring to the threats of civilization diseases. Fasting and physical exercise are known to modulate immune functions, including the production and release of cytokines – key signalling molecules involved in regulating inflammatory processes. However, there are limited data on the combined effects of fasting and physical exercise on cytokines profile in humans. The aim of the study was to knowledge about the usefulness of an 8-day fast and physical exercise in the light of changes in the concentration of selected pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines for the development of strategies to improve the health of adults.

Material and Methods: The experiment involved 6 people (4 men, 2 women) who had previously practiced three forms of psychophysical activity as amateurs: yoga, hand-to-hand combat, and strength training. Three months before the experiment, their exercises were standardized in terms of number, time and content of training sessions and intensity of load, limiting them to strength training (body building type), performed 3 times a week for 1.5 hours. Qualified participants fasted for 8 days. Blood samples were collected before and after physical exercise – both before and after the end of the fast. The determination of 27 cytokines was performed using the Bio-Plex Pro Human Inflammation Assays platform (Bio-Rad).

Results: The results showed a statistically significant increase in IL-8 concentration only after 8 days of fasting and immediately after the end of physical exercise. Fasting caused a significant increase in MIP-1β concentration only 1 hour after the end of the exercise test. In the case of the remaining cytokines tested, no statistically significant changes in response to the interventions were demonstrated.

Conclusions: The obtained data suggest that fasting and physical exercise can selectively modulate the immune response, particularly by affecting cytokines involved in leukocyte recruitment. These results may have important implications for understanding physiological mechanisms of adapxation under metabolic stress conditions and in the context of nutritional and exercise interventions.

Keywords: hand-to-hand combat, innovative agonology, metabolic stress, micro injuries

AMA
Bramora PJ, Dolibog P, Zalejska-Fiolka J, Tabęcki R, Kruszewski M, Kruszewski A, Pilis KK. The effect of fasting and physical exercise on serum levels of selected cytokines in middle-aged individuals – pilot study. Arch Budo J Inn Agon. 2025; 21

APA
Bramora, P. J., Dolibog, P., Zalejska-Fiolka, J., Tabęcki, R., Kruszewski, M., Kruszewski, A., & Pilis, K. K. (2025). The effect of fasting and physical exercise on serum levels of selected cytokines in middle-aged individuals – pilot study. Archives of Budo: Journal of Innovative Agonology, 21.

Chicago
Bramora, Piotr Jan, Paweł Dolibog, Jolanta Zalejska-Fiolka, Rafał Tabęcki, Marek Kruszewski, Artur Kruszewski, and Karol Krzysztof Pilis. 2025. "The Effect of Fasting and Physical Exercise on Serum Levels of Selected Cytokines in Middle-Aged Individuals – Pilot Study". Archives of Budo: Journal of Innovative Agonology 21.

Harvard
Bramora, P.J., Dolibog, P., Zalejska-Fiolka, J., Tabęcki, R., Kruszewski, M., Kruszewski, A. and Pilis, K.K. (2025) ‘The effect of fasting and physical exercise on serum levels of selected cytokines in middle-aged individuals – pilot study’, Archives of Budo: Journal of Innovative Agonology, 21.

MLA
Bramora, Piotr Jan, et al. "The Effect of Fasting and Physical Exercise on Serum Levels of Selected Cytokines in Middle-Aged Individuals – Pilot Study." Archives of Budo: Journal of Innovative Agonology, vol. 21, 2025.

Vancouver
Bramora PJ, Dolibog P, Zalejska-Fiolka J, Tabęcki R, Kruszewski M, Kruszewski A, Pilis KK. The effect of fasting and physical exercise on serum levels of selected cytokines in middle-aged individuals – pilot study. Arch Budo J Inn Agon. 2025;21.

OUR POLICY

Mission of ARCHBUDO

The specific mission of the Archives of Budo 2023 is to strive for a breakthrough in public perception of a broad class of combat sports and martial arts as specific means of innovative agonology.