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Abstract
Objectives—The immune changes induced by a bout of prolonged and vigorous exercise have been suggested to be a useful experimental model of sepsis and the inflammatory response. Available literature was reviewed to evaluate this hypothesis.
Methods—Literature describing the immune response to various patterns of exercise was compared with data on the immune changes observed during sepsis and inflammation.
Results—Although there are qualitative similarities between the immune responses to exercise and sepsis, the magnitude of the changes induced by most forms of exercise remains much smaller than in a typical inflammatory response. Indeed, the exercise induced changes in some key elements such as plasma cytokine concentrations are too small to be detected reliably by current technology.
Conclusions—If exercise is to provide a valid model of sepsis and the inflammatory response, it will be necessary to focus on subjects who are willing to exercise extremely hard, to use the pattern of exercise that has the greatest effect on the immune system, and to combine this stimulus with other psychological, environmental, or nutritional stressors.
- sepsis
- inflammatory response
- exercise
- cytokines
- endorphins
- immune function
Take home message
• Exercise has been suggested as a model for the study of sepsis and the inflammatory response.
• Although there are qualitative similarities in immune responses between the two types of stimulus, the reactions to most forms of exercise are on a much smaller scale than in sepsis, and in consequence they are more difficult to measure accurately.
• If exercise is to be used as a model in developing antidotes to an excessive inflammatory response, it will be necessary to use bouts of heavy and prolonged physical activity, augmenting this stimulus with other stressors such as thermal extremes or nutritional deficiencies.
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Take home message
• Exercise has been suggested as a model for the study of sepsis and the inflammatory response.
• Although there are qualitative similarities in immune responses between the two types of stimulus, the reactions to most forms of exercise are on a much smaller scale than in sepsis, and in consequence they are more difficult to measure accurately.
• If exercise is to be used as a model in developing antidotes to an excessive inflammatory response, it will be necessary to use bouts of heavy and prolonged physical activity, augmenting this stimulus with other stressors such as thermal extremes or nutritional deficiencies.
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