The influence of physical exercise on peritoneal macrophage functions: histochemical and phagocytic studies.

Peritoneal murine macrophages were assayed for their enzyme content and phagocytic activity after physical exercise. An endurance training as well as a single exhaustive exercise bout caused increased enzyme and phagocytic activities. However, a homogeneous activation could not be observed. The exhaustively exercised animals delivered macrophages with the highest levels of activation. Therefore, physical exercise has to be listed among the stimuli with macrophage-activating function. The inconsistency between an activating effect of physical exercise on macrophages and the observation that high-performance athletes suffer more frequently from harmless infectious diseases is discussed.