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Immune response to a 30-minute walk
David C Nieman1, Dru A Henson, Melanie D Austin
1Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, P.O. Box 32071, 111 Rivers Street, Holmes Convocation Center, Boone, NC 28608, USA. neimandc@appstate.edu
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|January 6, 2005
Summary
Walking with an exercise assist device boosts oxygen consumption but doesn't change immune responses compared to regular walking. Both activities cause brief, modest immune changes, particularly in neutrophil and natural killer cell counts.
Area of Science:
- Exercise physiology
- Immunology
- Human physiology
Background:
- Regular physical activity is crucial for maintaining immune function.
- Understanding how different exercise modalities impact immune parameters is important for public health.
- Treadmill walking is a common form of aerobic exercise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare immune system changes during 30 minutes of sitting versus walking.
- To evaluate the effect of an exercise assist device on immune responses during walking.
- To determine if the exercise assist device alters immune changes compared to unassisted walking.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen healthy women accustomed to walking participated.
- Subjects underwent three 30-minute sessions: sitting, walking, and walking with an exercise assist device.
- Blood and saliva samples were collected pre-, post-, and 1-hour post-exercise for analysis.
Main Results:
- Walking with the device increased oxygen consumption by 11% and heart rate by 8 bpm.
- Significant differences in blood counts (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, NK cells), IL-6, and lymphocyte proliferation were observed between walking and sitting.
- No significant differences in immune parameters were found between walking with or without the device.
Conclusions:
- An exercise assist device increases exercise intensity but does not alter immune responses compared to unassisted walking.
- Walking elicits modest, short-lived changes in immune parameters, notably affecting neutrophil and natural killer cell counts.
- Immune system responses to walking are generally short-lived and not significantly enhanced by the use of this specific exercise assist device.