Investigating adaptive responses to exercise in elite biathletes using celullar integrative immune markers

Aim. This paper was aimed at evaluating the prognostic value of cellular integrative immune markers for predicting various types of adaptive responses in elite biathletes at various stages of early season. Materials and methods. This study involved 21 members of the Russian national biathlon team. The hematological profile of peripheral blood was obtained using an automated hematology analyzer (XN-1000, Sysmex Corporation, Japan). Results. The dominant types of adaptations during early season training are “smooth activation” and “enhanced activation”. The frequency of “veractivation” and “enhanced activation” responses increased from general to specific preparation, with a concurrent decrease of the “training” response. Importantly, no cases of stress-induced adaptive responses were observed at the precompetition stage. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the utility of the systemic immune inflammation index as a universal and reliable marker for assessing exercise-related inflammation. Differentiation of adaptive responses based on cellular integrative immune markers allows for evaluation of stress capacity, training effects, recovery processes, and prediction of fatigue and susceptibility to infections in elite athletes.