The aim of this study was to describe the effects of training (running) on thymus and spleen cells in the rat. Young Wistar control rats (n = 6), rats trained for 4 wk (n = 5), and rats trained for 4 wk followed by 1 wk of intensive training (3 h/day, n = 6) were studied. Various lymphocyte surface and nuclear markers were determined by immunocytochemistry. The results show that 4 wk of training 1) decreased the percentage of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU+) thymocytes (cell in phase S of the cycle, immature thymocytes; P less than 0.05) and the viability of thymocytes stimulated with concanavalin A (Con A; P less than 0.05) and 2) increased the absolute number of CD8+ (suppressor/cytotoxic T cells; 29%) and the percentage of CD8+ splenocytes (P less than 0.01). An additional week of intensive training in the 4-wk trained rats induced 1) a decrease in the absolute number of thymocytes (25%, P less than 0.05), TCR+ thymocytes, splenocytes (28%, P less than 0.01), T, CD4+ (helper T cells; 34%), and CD8+ (31%) splenocytes (P less than 0.01) and 2) an increase in the viability of splenocytes after stimulation with Con A for 72 h (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)