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Exercise, aging and immune function

R J Shephard1, P N Shek

  • 1School of Physical & Health Education, Dept. of Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, University of Toronto, Ontario.

International Journal of Sports Medicine
|January 1, 1995
PubMed
Summary
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Moderate exercise can improve immune function in older adults, enhancing T cell responses and natural killer cell activity. However, caution is advised due to increased susceptibility to over-training in the elderly.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Gerontology
  • Exercise Physiology

Background:

  • Aging diminishes immune function, increasing susceptibility to infections, tumors, and autoimmune diseases.
  • Key immune changes include decreased interleukin-2 production, altered T cell counts and responses, while natural killer cell activity remains stable.
  • The impact of exercise on the aging immune system is not fully understood, with limited comparative studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of acute exercise and training on the immune responses of older individuals compared to younger ones.
  • To determine if moderate exercise can reverse age-related declines in immune function.

Main Methods:

  • Comparison of immune responses (natural killer cell activity, lymphocyte proliferation) in young and elderly individuals subjected to acute exercise and training programs.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of T cell subset changes and proliferative responses to mitogens.

    • Main Results:

    • Moderate exercise is generally well-tolerated by the elderly, with NK cell responses similar to younger individuals.
    • Older subjects showed less lymphocyte proliferation stimulation with moderate activity and less suppression with exhaustive exercise compared to younger subjects.
    • Moderate training programs appeared to stimulate immune function more in the elderly than in the young, enhancing T cell proliferation in rodents and resting NK cell activity in humans.

    Conclusions:

    • Moderate exercise and training show potential for improving immune function in the elderly, counteracting some age-related declines.
    • While beneficial, exercise interventions in older adults require careful management to avoid over-training, given their heightened susceptibility.