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Exercise and the immune system: regulation, integration, and adaptation.
B K Pedersen1, L Hoffman-Goetz
1Department of Infectious Diseases and Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. bkp@rh.dk
Physiological Reviews
|July 14, 2000
Summary
Exercise impacts the immune system, acting as a model for stress immunology. This review explores neuroendocrine factors and metabolic links influencing immune changes, relevant to disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimmunology
- Stress Immunology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Exercise triggers immunological reactions, studied via stress immunology and neuroimmunology.
- Exercise serves as a model for temporary immunosuppression following severe physical stress.
- The exercise-stress model facilitates studying nervous, endocrine, and immune system interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review mechanisms of exercise-induced immune changes.
- To explore neuroendocrinological factors (catecholamines, growth hormone, cortisol, beta-endorphin, sex steroids) and metabolic links.
- To discuss exercise's role in disease prevention, considering aging and nutrition.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental, clinical, and epidemiological literature.
- Focus on neuroendocrinological and metabolic pathways.
- Analysis of exercise-associated muscle damage and inflammatory cytokine cascade.
Main Results:
- Identified key neuroendocrine factors influencing immune response to exercise.
- Highlighted the metabolic link between skeletal muscles and the lymphoid system.
- Discussed exercise-induced inflammation and its modulation.
Conclusions:
- Exercise significantly modulates the immune system through complex neuroendocrine and metabolic pathways.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for clinical applications in disease prevention.
- Further research is needed on exercise, immunity, aging, nutrition, infectious diseases, and neoplasia.