Title:The Beneficial Effect of Physical Exercise on Inflammatory Makers in Older Individuals
Volume: 21
Issue: 6
Author(s): Pablo Gómez-Rubio*Isabel Trapero
Affiliation:
- Department of Nursing, University of Valencia, Valencia,Spain
Keywords:
Inflammatory markers, aerobic exercise, resistance training, aging, IL-6 expression, plasma IL-6 levels.
Abstract: Old age is associated with a loss of motor functions and a general progressive decline in
cognitive functions. Physical exercise is one of the ways in which inflammatory levels in general can
be reduced, and therefore physical exercise can be considered a biological aging decelerator. In this
article, we examine the relationships between physical exercise and inflammatory markers reported for
the different physical exercise protocols that have been used in studies with older individuals, as well
as the effects of these regimens. The different types of exercises programmed, and methods used to
implement them were very heterogeneous in the articles we analysed. Both, the aerobic exercise and
resistance training protocols produced a decrease in plasma levels of IL-6, CRP and TNF-α, and an
increase of IL-10 plasma levels as a chronic effect. However, the acute-response of physical exercise
appeared to be an initial increase in IL-6 expression and plasma IL-6 levels. Continuing with these
exercise programs usually subsequently achieved a chronic response in which there was a decrease in
both the basal levels of IL-6, CRP and TNF-α, and the IL-6 produced as acute responses. Regardless of
the type of exercise performed, it seems that the exercise parameters, intensity, duration, subject variables,
fitness, and level of inflammation are key factors in achieving the expected balance between proinflammatory
and anti-inflammatory cytokines.
