THE RATIO LIMPHOCYTES/LEUKOCYTES - COEFFICIENT IN HIGH - PERFORMANCE OF VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS DURING AN ANNUAL CYCLE

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THE RATIO LIMPHOCYTES/LEUKOCYTES - COEFFICIENT IN HIGH - PERFORMANCE  OF VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS DURING AN ANNUAL CYCLE

Serbescu Ioan¹, Vasilescu Mirela^2
1Emergency Clinical Hospital, Department of Sports Medicine,
²University of Craiova, Romania

Introduction. In sports medicine malnutrition which meet especially in sports per weight categories, effects the T cell-mediated immunity, disturbs the complement system, the phagocyte(macrophage) activity, etc. The total lymphocyte number may represent a marker of malnutrition, only if we exclude an infection, a disease associated with depression of the immune system (but the high-performance sports do not depress the immune system?), or a haematological disease; stress and corticotherapy (often used of athletes), may also induce immunodepression.
Materials and methods. The study was effectuated on volleyball players from team ,,University of Timisoara” from the first division in the competitional years 2004-2005 with a number 13 players. The coefficient limphocytes/leukocytes has been calculated eich threshold value is 0,35, and which has diverse value for quantification the immune system at athletes. The number lymphocytes per mmc (2500-3500) may represent a useful marker for the diagnosis of the protein - calorie malnutrition (PCM); so, a decrease below 1200-1500/mmc represents a light malnutrition, while a decrease below 800/mmc represents a severe malnutrition.
Results. We present in the graphics evolution of the lymphocytes/leukocytes coefficient in different stages of the study effectuate during a year competition at athletes volleyball players from team ,,University of Timisoara”. From the date analysis it can be observed: an general basal mean values of this coefficient are below the optimal number 0,35 and along the trainings (august 2004), the coefficient value decreases slightly, being maintained constantly under the threshold number. In both
official games the coefficient decreases significantly after the game and 60 minutes after the game the mean coefficient values are still below the normal values, perhaps meaning a stressing action of the sportive effort upon the lymphocytes immune system.
Conclusions. The supervision of this coefficient could be used in the medical-sportive control of volleyball p0layers, participants in internal or international competitions, with a guiding marker of the immune reactivity compared to the stress induced by the sportive effort.
Keywords:  immune system, lymphocytes/leukocytes coefficient, athletes.