Immune function in sport and exercise
Top Cited Papers
- 1 August 2007
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Physiological Society in Journal of Applied Physiology
- Vol. 103 (2), 693-699
- https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00008.2007
Abstract
Regular moderate exercise is associated with a reduced incidence of infection compared with a completely sedentary state. However, prolonged bouts of strenuous exercise cause a temporary depression of various aspects of immune function (e.g., neutrophil respiratory burst, lymphocyte proliferation, monocyte antigen presentation) that usually lasts ∼3–24 h after exercise, depending on the intensity and duration of the exercise bout. Postexercise immune function dysfunction is most pronounced when the exercise is continuous, prolonged (>1.5 h), of moderate to high intensity (55–75% maximum O2 uptake), and performed without food intake. Periods of intensified training (overreaching) lasting 1 wk or more may result in longer lasting immune dysfunction. Although elite athletes are not clinically immune deficient, it is possible that the combined effects of small changes in several immune parameters may compromise resistance to common minor illnesses, such as upper respiratory tract infection. However, this may be a small price to pay as the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise mediated through cytokines and/or downregulation of toll-like receptor expression are likely mediators of many of the long-term health benefits of regular exercise.Keywords
This publication has 38 references indexed in Scilit:
- Infectious episodes before and after a marathon raceScandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2006
- Exercise, nutrition and immune functionJournal of Sports Sciences, 2004
- Production of interleukin‐6 in contracting human skeletal muscles can account for the exercise‐induced increase in plasma interleukin‐6Journal Of Physiology-London, 2000
- Effects of Exercise Intensity, Duration and Recovery onin vitroNeutrophil Function in Male AthletesInternational Journal of Sports Medicine, 1999
- Effects of Exercise and Training on Natural Killer Cell Counts and Cytolytic ActivitySports Medicine, 1999
- The effect on immunity of long-term intensive training in elite swimmersClinical and Experimental Immunology, 1995
- How Physical Exercise Influences the Establishment of InfectionsSports Medicine, 1995
- Exercise, Infection, and ImmunityInternational Journal of Sports Medicine, 1994
- Regulation of Neutrophil Function During ExerciseSports Medicine, 1994
- Viral Illnesses and Sports PerformanceSports Medicine, 1986