Acute effects of the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (STST) on immune-metabolic stress indices

Abstract

Abstract Characterizing the non-pathological, exercise-induced immune-metabolic stress regulation is important for understanding physiological adaptations and distinguishing them from maladaptive responses. Because such responses are mostly studied with extensive, resource-intensive protocols, simple, standardized tests eliciting measurable immune-metabolic responses are valuable in clinical and non-clinical settings. Established field tests assess functional exercise capacity rather than providing a standardized stimulus for investigating exercise-induced immune regulation. This study examined the effects of the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (STST) on immune-metabolic stress indices and whether it elicits sufficient anaerobic stress to serve as a tool for investigating exercise-induced immunological stress responses. Capillary blood from 28 healthy adults was collected before, immediately after, and during 45 min after exercise to determine lactate, glucose, and blood cell counts; hemoconcentration correction was applied. Lactate increased significantly immediately after the STST, exceeding the anaerobic threshold (> 4 mmol/L). Leukocyte, lymphocyte, and granulocyte counts rose significantly post-exercise; leukocytes returned to baseline by 30 min, whereas granulocytes remained elevated. GLR and SII decreased significantly immediately post-exercise and increased during recovery, together with SIRI. Lactate changes correlated significantly with leukocyte, lymphocyte and granulocyte changes. Therefore, the STST represents a practical, standardized field-based model for immune-metabolic assessment with translational potential for clinical and non-clinical settings.