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[Sports and the immune system]
Der Orthopade
|March 7, 1998
Summary
Intensive exercise mobilizes immune cells, particularly NK-cells, with most returning to normal within 24 hours. Moderate activity offers the lowest infection rates for athletes.
Area of Science:
- Exercise immunology
- Sports science
- Human physiology
Background:
- Acute exercise triggers immune cell mobilization, primarily driven by catecholamines and cortisol.
- Natural killer (NK) cells show a significant increase, up to fivefold, after intensive exercise.
- A mild acute-phase reaction accompanies these immune changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize the acute and chronic effects of exercise on immune parameters.
- To explore the relationship between physical activity levels and infection rates in athletes.
- To highlight the role of immune cells in tissue repair after exercise.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on exercise immunology.
- Analysis of epidemiological data on infection rates in athletes.
- Discussion of immune cell function in post-exercise recovery.
Main Results:
- Most immune changes normalize within 24 hours post-exercise, though humoral parameters may differ for up to 72 hours.
- Repeated exercise in sports leads to minimal resting immune parameter changes.
- Epidemiological data suggests a J-shaped curve for upper respiratory tract infections in athletes, with moderate activity showing the lowest incidence.
Conclusions:
- Functional immune changes are key to exercise's health influence.
- Immune cells infiltrate muscle tissue after eccentric exercise to clear damaged cells.
- The immune system's role in tendon and bradytrophic tissue regeneration requires further investigation.