Meal-Exercise Challenge and Physical Activity Reduction Impact on Immunity and Inflammation
Condition: Asthma; Obesity
MeSH terms: Inflammation
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      In a society where exercise is prescribed by physicians to increase physical condition,
      improve dietary habits and reduce cardiovascular risk, the impact of exercise, acute or
      chronic, and diet in inflammation and immunity is unknown. Specific populations can have
      different responses towards acute and chronic exercise. Moreover specific conditions, like
      the type of meal ingested, can interfere with these responses. The true effect of
      pre-competitive meal exercise in the immunity and inflammatory response is unknown. Acute
      physical inactivity periods, commonly happens during daily life, related to work or acute
      illness. New evidence points out that it induces immediate metabolic and endocrinological
      changes, these can might also be associated with changes in immune response.

      Aims of this project are:

        1. to assess the effect of the precompetitive meal on the inflammatory, neuro-immune and
           metabolic response to exercise;

        2. to assess the effects of sedentary behaviour on inflammatory, neuro-immune and metabolic
           response;

        3. to assess differences in changes between healthy, asthmatic and obese subjects
    

Detailed description: 
      Two interventions will be performed for assessing the research questions and aims:

      A) Randomized cross-over, with a wash out period of 7 days, single-blinded trial where two
      different pre-competitive meals will be followed by an exercise challenge; inflammatory
      neuro-immune and metabolic response will be assessed before and after each challenge.

      Participants will be recruited from advertisement and four different groups will be compared:
      obese-asthmatic; asthmatic non-obese; obese without asthma and non-asthmatic and non-obese.
      All patients will be allocated to a meal challenge in which a high fat poor micronutrient
      meal followed by a Mediterranean meal or vice-versa; meal challenge order will be randomized
      and participants will be blinded to the intervention. The main outcome for this intervention
      will be airway inflammation and lung function. All outcomes will be assessed before and 3h
      after each meal.

      A group of individuals will, in the three hours after the meal, perform an exercise
      challenge, which is aimed to induce acute immune changes.

      B) Randomized controlled trial where participants, after a run-in period and eligibility
      evaluation, will be allocated to an intervention consisting in a reduction of physical
      activity by 50% or maintaining habitual physical activity for two weeks; inflammatory
      neuro-immune and metabolic response will be assessed before and after intervention.
    

Intervention name(s): High fat poor micronutrient meal; Mediterranean meal
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): The meal will be prepared by a team of nutritionist in order to comply with the demand characteristics of an high fat poor micronutrient meal.; The meal will be prepared by a team of nutritionist in order to comply with the demand characteristics of an Mediterranean meal
Intervention MeSH terms: Micronutrients; Trace Elements
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: exercise; immune function; inflammation; immunity; diet; obesity; asthma