eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal 0974-6242 2025-12-30 18 4 3102 3113 10.13005/bpj/3321 69691 article Joel Padayachee 1 Ajit Kumar 2 Takshita Sookan-Kassie 3 Irene Mackraj 1 Discipline of Human Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, Republic of South Africa. Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, Republic of South Africa. Discipline of Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Sciences, School of Health Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, Republic of South Africa. The study aims to fill the gap in limited scientific evidence on variations in resting serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels, as well as their associations with respiratory patterns across different recreational sports and sedentary individuals, particularly in South Africa. This cross-sectional study involved 80 male participants, comprising 20 from each of the three sport subgroups (swimming, soccer, and volleyball) and 20 from a sedentary group. Spirometry values for Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1), Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR), Vital Capacity (VC), FEV1/FVC ratio, and Maximal Voluntary Ventilation (MVV) were measured according to American Thoracic Society guidelines. Fasting plasma levels of IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α were assessed after a two-week break from training for the sports groups, and sedentary behavior was defined for the sedentary group. Significant differences in respiratory patterns were observed among the groups (p < 0.01), with recreational athletes exhibiting better lung function than the sedentary group. The cytokine expression levels for IL-10 and TNF-α in the swim, soccer, volleyball, and sedentary groups were significantly different (p < 0.01). The study confirms that an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, is associated with improved spirometry values, while TNF-α cytokine expression is associated with reduced spirometry values. Swimming notably enhances lung function compared to soccer and volleyball. Long-term physical activity has been shown to reduce inflammation compared to sedentary lifestyles. Larger studies are needed to further explore the relationship between cytokine levels and lung function in recreational sports. https://biomedpharmajournal.org/vol18no4/cytokine-and-respiratory-profiles-in-recreational-athletes-and-a-sedentary-group/ Cytokines Pulmonary function Recreational athletes Respiratory profiles Sedentary lifestyle