Effect of spirulina supplementation on selected components of Th1/Th2 balance in rowers

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of spirulina supplementation on blood levels of selected cytokines in athletes exposed to strenuous physical exercise, with emphasis on Th1/Th2 balance. The double-blind study included 19 members of the Polish Rowing Team. The subjects were randomly assigned to the supplemented group, receiving 1500 mg of spirulina extract for 6 weeks, or to the placebo group. After the supplementation, athletes from the placebo group showed a significant post-recovery reduction of IL-2 level, which contributed to a significant decrease in IL-2/IL-4 and IL-2/IL-10 ratios at the end of a 24-h recovery period. Although this study did not demonstrate significant post-supplementation changes in Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels, the lack of a shift in Th1/Th2 balance toward Th2-type response in the supplemented group implies that some constituents of spirulina may exert an indirect beneficial effect on athletes’ immunity.