Joaquin Reverter-Masia; Rafel Cirer-Sastre; Carme Jové-Deltell; Francesc Corbi-Soler; Isaac López-Laval & Vicenç Hernández-González

Semi-professional football imposes a high physical demand, increasing the risk of muscle injuries due to the accumulation of matches and training sessions with limited recovery periods. This study evaluated interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in semi-professional footballers during a seven-a-side football match, both in adults and children. A notable increase in IL-6 levels was observed after high-intensity exercise. IL-6 not only reflects an acute inflammatory response, but also an adaptation to maintain energy homeostasis. This increase was associated with an acute phase inflammatory response, evidenced by increasing exercise intensity. Although continued exercise improves myocyte energy efficiency and could reduce IL-6 release, high-intensity exercise in semi-professional football seems to overcome these adaptive effects. This underlines the need for adequate recovery strategies to mitigate the impact of accumulated physical stress and prevent muscle injuries. In conclusion, IL-6 levels increase in response to intense exercise during a football match in semi-professional players, both adults and children. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring IL-6 and other inflammatory markers to develop effective training and recovery strategies. Future studies should investigate interventions that modulate the IL-6 response and optimize recovery in athletes.

REVERTER-MASIA, J.; CIRER-SASTRE, R.; JOVÉ- DELTELL, C.J.; CORBI-SOLER, F.; LÓPEZ-LAVAL, I. & HERNÁNDEZ-GONZÁLEZ, V. Impact of intense exercise on Interleukin-6 levels in semi-professional footballers: A comparative study between adults and children. Int. J. Morphol., 43(1):304-310, 2025.