Table 3.

Hematocrit, total and individual leukocytes count, and plasma cytokine levels during periods of evaluation in volleyball athletes (n = 12)

Blood variables	M1	M2	M3
Hematocrit, %	38.58 ± 0.64	39.67 ± 0.75	38.89 ± 1.040
Total leukocytes, cells/mm3	11616.67 ± 433.77	13650.00 ± 150.0a	13666.67 ± 578.31a
Neutrophils lobulated, cells/mm3	906.17 ± 137.59	1148.50 ± 112.26	1644.22 ± 78.84a,b
Neutrophils segmented, cells/mm3	4805.25 ± 334.97	5384.33 ± 317.81	6712.11 ± 466.18a
Total neutrophils, cells/mm3	5711.42 ± 413.18	6532.83 ± 388.03	8356.33 ± 421.55a,b
Monocytes, cells/mm3	549.25 ± 48.72	968.17 ± 71.24a	1181.22 ± 102.40a
Basophils, cells/mm3	16.00 ± 12.20	17.17 ± 8.97	47.44 ± 16.24
Eosinophils, cells/mm3	30.25 ± 9.22	74.25 ± 15.96a	36.67 ± 11.69
Total lymphocytes, cells/mm3	5309.75 ± 306.35	6057.58 ± 322.76	4045.00 ± 198.42a,b
Neutrophils/lymphocytes, cells/mm3	1.14 ± 0.14	1.16 ± 0.15	2.10 ± 0.14a,b
IL-2, pg/mL	1.67 ± 0.39	1.71 ± 0.45	1.65 ± 0.37
IL-6, pg/mL	1.78 ± 0.25	2.04 ± 0.13	2.30 ± 0.15
TNF-α, pg/mL	1.13 ± 0.62	1.04 ± 0.30	1.03 ± 0.27

Notes: Values are presented as mean ± standard error of the mean;

^aM2 and M3 significantly different from M1;

^bM3 significantly different from M2; P ≤ 0.05.

Abbreviations: IL, interleukin; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; M1, pre-competitive period; M2, competitive I period; M3, competitive II period.