Exercise, Aging, and Immunity

Restoration of immunological function is important for the improvement of quality of life of the elderly, as the aging population is rapidly increasing throughout the world. Given the quantity of cross-sectional evidence suggesting a link between exercise and inflammation, several researchers have conducted longitudinal studies investigating whether exercise training reduces inflammation in aged adults. Visceral adipose tissue has become increasingly recognized as a metabolically active organ capable of secreting inflammatory signals that can impact whole body physiology. The relationship between the gut microbiome and inflammaging has drawn the attention of many researchers. Cross-sectional studies report that elderly runners exhibited a higher in vitro stimulated T cell proliferative response and improved effector cytokine production compared to elderly, sedentary individuals. In healthy older adults, regular aerobic exercise appears to reduce chronic low-level inflammation and augment both cell- and antibody-mediated immune responses.