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Exercise Intensity and Duration Effects on In Vivo Immunity
Bethany C Diment1, Matthew B Fortes, Jason P Edwards
11College of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UNITED KINGDOM; 2Infection, Inflammation and Immunity Division, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, UNITED KINGDOM.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|November 8, 2014
Summary
Prolonged moderate-intensity exercise significantly impairs the induction of in vivo immunity, as measured by contact hypersensitivity. Short-duration exercise, regardless of intensity, does not affect immune induction, suggesting a specific impact of exercise duration on cell-mediated immunity.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Exercise Physiology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Exercise impacts the immune system, but the specific effects of intensity and duration on immune induction are not fully understood.
- Contact hypersensitivity (CHS) is a T-cell mediated immune response that can be used to assess in vivo immunity.
- Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) is a novel antigen used to induce and measure CHS in experimental settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how exercise intensity and duration affect the induction of in vivo immunity.
- To utilize the experimental contact hypersensitivity (CHS) model with diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) to quantify these effects in humans.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-four healthy males underwent different exercise protocols: 30 min moderate intensity (30MI), 30 min high intensity (30HI), 120 min moderate intensity (120MI), or rest (CON).
- Subjects were sensitized with DPCP, and immune reactivity was assessed 4 weeks later by measuring cutaneous responses to DPCP challenge.
- Hormonal responses (epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol) were measured, and a subset of participants underwent croton oil challenge to differentiate inflammatory from cell-mediated responses.
Main Results:
- A significant impairment in DPCP-induced immune induction was observed following 120MI (-67% reduction compared to CON).
- Short-duration exercise (30MI and 30HI) did not affect immune induction, despite significant elevations in catecholamines and cortisol.
- Prolonged moderate-intensity exercise (120MI) did not alter the skin's response to the irritant croton oil, suggesting a specific effect on cell-mediated immunity.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged moderate-intensity exercise suppresses the induction of in vivo cell-mediated immunity.
- Short-duration exercise, irrespective of intensity, does not impair immune induction.
- Diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP) serves as an effective tool for evaluating the impact of exercise on immune responses in vivo.
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