Comparing the effect of altitude descending in two continuous and interval manners on delayed onset muscle soreness, muscle injury and immune system indices

How to descend from a height is one of the most important questions that occupy the minds of climbers. In this study, we compared downhill running in two continuous and interval manner on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), muscle damage and immune system indices in adolescent boys.

For this purpose, 20 healthy sedentary adolescent boys (16.4±1.03 years and BMI=20.06±2.6 kg/m2) distributed in two identical (anthropometrics and functional) groups and rapidly ascended to 3,000 m altitude by gondola, then  going downhill for a distance of 14 km in two continuous and interval styles. Immunological indices, hemoglobin, hematocrit, muscle injury (Lactate dehydrogenase and Creatine kinase) and DOMS were evaluated before, immediately, 24 and 48 hours later. Repeated measure ANOVA was used to statistical analyses. Significance level was set to less than 0.05

Immunological indices were not different between groups, but, the immune cells at 24 hours after activity decreased compared to pretest in continuous group. Creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were not different between groups. These enzymes increased immediately after downhill running in both groups, but magnitude of changes in creatine kinase was more in continuous group. Also, DOMS in the continuous group was more than interval group.

The results showed that although the levels of the immune system indices and muscle damage were similar between groups, but, downhill running in a continuous style compared to the interval style causes suppression of the immune system and DOMS elevation in sedentary adolescent boys.