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Immune function in sport and exercise.

Michael Gleeson1

  • 1School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough Univ., UK. M.Gleeson@lboro.ac.uk

Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
|February 17, 2007
PubMed
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Regular moderate exercise boosts immunity, but prolonged strenuous workouts temporarily suppress immune function for 3-24 hours. This immune suppression is most significant after intense, lengthy exercise without food intake.

Area of Science:

  • Exercise immunology
  • Sports science
  • Immune function

Background:

  • Regular moderate exercise is linked to lower infection rates compared to a sedentary lifestyle.
  • Strenuous exercise can temporarily impair immune responses, including neutrophil function, lymphocyte proliferation, and monocyte antigen presentation.
  • This immune dysfunction typically lasts 3-24 hours post-exercise.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the impact of exercise intensity and duration on immune function.
  • To understand the implications of exercise-induced immune changes for athlete health and long-term benefits.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of immune parameters such as neutrophil respiratory burst, lymphocyte proliferation, and monocyte antigen presentation.
  • Correlation of immune function changes with exercise characteristics (duration, intensity, nutritional status).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Consideration of overreaching training effects on immune response.

    • Main Results:

    • Immune function depression is most pronounced after prolonged (>1.5 h), moderate-to-high intensity (55-75% max O2 uptake) exercise without food.
    • Intensified training periods (overreaching) can lead to sustained immune dysfunction.
    • While not causing clinical immunodeficiency, cumulative immune changes may increase susceptibility to minor illnesses like upper respiratory tract infections in athletes.

    Conclusions:

    • Prolonged strenuous exercise temporarily depresses immune function, potentially increasing illness risk in athletes.
    • The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise, mediated by cytokines and toll-like receptor downregulation, likely contribute to long-term health benefits.
    • The temporary immune suppression is a potential trade-off for the significant health advantages conferred by regular exercise.