Acute Exercise-Induced Changes in Hematological Parameters Among Healthy Young Males: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Background: Exercise exerts various physiological effects on the body, including modulation of hematological parameters such as leukocytes, red blood cells (RBCs), and platelets. Monitoring these changes is crucial for evaluating the body’s adaptive responses to physical activity. Objective: To evaluate hematological alterations in healthy males in response to acute exercise and determine whether these changes persist or normalize within 24 hours. Methodology: Forty healthy male participants aged 15 to 28 years were enrolled. Individuals with cardiovascular conditions or other chronic illnesses were excluded. Blood samples were collected at three intervals: pre-exercise, immediately post-exercise, and 24 hours post-exercise. Samples were obtained using sterile syringes and EDTA tubes and analyzed for full blood count (FBC) using the Abacus 360 hematology analyzer. Blood pressure and pulse rate were also recorded. Participants engaged in a treadmill-based aerobic exercise protocol. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 23.8 ± 1.98 years, with an average BMI of 22.37 ± 2.36 kg/m². No significant changes were observed in RBC or white blood cell (WBC) parameters across the three time points (p > 0.05). However, platelet counts significantly increased immediately after exercise compared to baseline and decreased 24 hours later (p < 0.05), although the difference between baseline and 24-hour post-exercise values was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Platelet distribution width (PDW) increased significantly at 24 hours post-exercise compared to immediate post-exercise values (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Acute exercise induces significant transient changes in platelet parameters, while RBC and WBC counts remain unaffected. These findings may help inform exercise prescription and monitoring in healthy individuals. Keywords: Exercise, MCH, MCV, Platelets, RBC, WBC.