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Exercise and immune function. Recent developments.

D C Nieman1, B K Pedersen

  • 1Department of Health and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, USA. niemandc@appstate.edu

Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
|March 26, 1999
PubMed
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Intensive exercise impacts innate immunity, but links to illness remain unproven. Moderate exercise may enhance immune function and reduce sickness, though more research is needed on supplements like carbohydrates.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Exercise Physiology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Intensive exercise affects innate immune cells like natural killer cells and neutrophils.
  • The 'open window' theory suggests a post-exercise period of altered immunity increases infection risk.
  • Nutritional supplements and moderate exercise are being investigated for their impact on immune response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare immune function in athletes versus non-athletes.
  • To evaluate the 'open window' theory and its link to infection incidence.
  • To assess the effects of nutritional supplements and moderate exercise on immune responses.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of immune parameters between athletes and non-athletes.
  • Analysis of immune system changes following prolonged heavy exertion.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Studies on the impact of carbohydrate supplementation on endurance athletes' immune responses.
  • Longitudinal study on moderate exercise training and sickness incidence.

    • Main Results:

    • Adaptive immunity is largely unaffected by athletic endeavor; innate immunity shows differential responses.
    • Carbohydrate supplementation attenuated stress hormone responses and modulated immune cell activity and cytokine profiles.
    • Moderate exercise training (brisk walking) halved sickness days without altering resting immune function.

    Conclusions:

    • The link between post-exercise immunosuppression and increased infection risk requires further demonstration.
    • Carbohydrate supplementation shows promise in mitigating exercise-induced immune perturbations, but its effect on infection frequency is unproven.
    • Moderate exercise training appears to enhance host protection and reduce illness, likely through cumulative acute effects.