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These cells are part of your front-line defense team, attacking infected and abnormal cells before the rest of the immune system even notices that something\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n
Exercise reshapes aging immunity<\/p>\n
Researchers wanted to know if all those miles logged by older adults over the years did more than just keep them fit. They studied a group of older adults with an average age of 64. One group had trained in endurance sports<\/a> for more than 20 years, while the other had not.<\/p>\n They found that in people who had trained regularly, natural killer cells were more adaptable, more efficient at using energy, and less likely to trigger unnecessary inflammation.<\/p>\n \u201cA previous study found obesity<\/a> and a sedentary lifestyle can trigger a process of premature aging of defense cells,\u201d said Luciele Minuzzi, a visiting researcher at Justus Liebig University Giessen in Germany. <\/p>\n \u201cThis made us want to investigate the other side of the story; whether an older adult who has been practicing endurance exercises for more than 20 years may have a better-prepared immune system.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers found that in these individuals, NK cells not only responded better to inflammation but also used energy more efficiently \u2013 suggesting that exercise trains the immune system as well as the body.<\/p>\n The study was part of a larger project led by S\u00e3o Paulo State University<\/a> (UNESP) and supported by FAPESP, a Brazilian research foundation.<\/p>\n Less inflammation, more balance<\/p>\n NK cells are a type of white blood cell. They\u2019re known for identifying and destroying infected or damaged cells quickly \u2013 including tumor cells<\/a>. But they don\u2019t just need to show up. They need to function properly without overreacting. That\u2019s where inflammation comes in.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we compared the cells of trained older adults with those of non-athletes of the same age, we found that those with a history of endurance exercise had fewer inflammatory markers,\u201d said F\u00e1bio Lira, a professor and project coordinator at UNESP. <\/p>\n \u201cThis means that, compared to non-athletic older adults, they had much better control of inflammation.\u201d<\/p>\n Too much inflammation can cause all sorts of problems, especially as we age. It\u2019s been linked to everything from arthritis and heart disease to Alzheimer\u2019s and cancer. The goal isn\u2019t to eliminate inflammation altogether \u2013 it\u2019s to regulate it.<\/p>\n Exercise is just one piece<\/p>\n Your immune system doesn\u2019t live in a bubble. Sleep, stress, diet, medications \u2013 they all affect how your body responds to threats. But physical activity plays a unique role.<\/p>\n \u201cPhysical exercise is one of these factors that can benefit the immune system, and in this research project, we\u2019re investigating how it can modulate the immune response over time,\u201d said Lira.<\/p>\n The team didn\u2019t just look at the shape or size of the NK cells. They also tested how the cells responded to challenges. They exposed them to drugs that block important cell signaling pathways \u2013 specifically, propranolol and rapamycin \u2013 to see how well the cells held up under pressure.<\/p>\n Stronger with every heartbeat<\/p>\n Propranolol blocks the effects of adrenaline, and rapamycin interrupts signals that control cell growth. These blockers usually make it harder for immune cells to do their jobs. But the NK cells from trained older adults kept going strong.<\/p>\n \u201cTrained older individuals demonstrate more efficient and adaptable immunity, with greater metabolic<\/a> control and less propensity for cellular exhaustion,\u201d said Minuzzi. <\/p>\n \u201cRegular physical exercise appears to positively modulate both adrenergic sensitivity and cellular energy sensors, promoting a more balanced and less inflammatory response to external stimuli.\u201d <\/p>\n Fitness fuels cellular defense<\/p>\n When researchers tried to shut down certain pathways, the NK cells from endurance-trained participants didn\u2019t give up. Meanwhile, cells from the less active group showed signs of exhaustion and failure. <\/p>\n Even with blocked signaling, trained older adults\u2019 NK cells stayed functional, unlike the exhausted cells of untrained peers.<\/p>\n \u201cThis means that long-term endurance training is associated with protective \u2018immunometabolic\u2019 adaptations in NK cells in older adults,\u201d said Minuzzi. <\/p>\n \u201cIn other words, the cells become more mature and effective, less senescent, and metabolically better prepared to respond to inflammatory or pharmacological stressors.\u201d<\/p>\n Immune systems that stay cool<\/p>\n In a related study, the same team compared younger and older athletes to see how their immune systems responded after exercise. <\/p>\n The researchers studied blood samples from 12 master athletes, with an average age of 52, who had trained for more than 20 years. These were compared to samples from 22-year-old athletes with at least four years of training.<\/p>\n The experts looked at how the blood reacted to a substance that mimics infection. Both age groups had increased levels of IL-6, a chemical that signals inflammation<\/a>. But the older athletes showed a more restrained response.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother important inflammatory cytokine, TNF-\u03b1, was only increased in the younger group,\u201d said Minuzzi.<\/p>\n The older athletes<\/a> had immune systems that were trained to stay calm \u2013 still responsive, but not over the top. That balance is crucial for long-term health.<\/p>\n Training for lasting defense<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they train regularly, their bodies are accustomed to dealing with inflammatory episodes, which require more intense stimuli to generate significant long-term inflammatory responses,\u201d said Minuzzi.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s this type of \u2018training\u2019 that, over time, adapts the immune system, making it stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n Minuzzi also pointed out decades of training may help teach the immune system how to respond without going overboard. This type of adaptation could be a key part of healthy aging.<\/p>\n \u201cThe system doesn\u2019t stop responding, but it avoids exaggeration,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is particularly interesting for a greater understanding of healthy aging since disordered inflammatory responses are linked to several chronic diseases.\u201d <\/p>\n So, if you needed one more reason to keep moving, here it is. Regular endurance exercise doesn\u2019t just build strength \u2013 it could help you age with a smarter, steadier immune system.<\/p>\n The full study was published in the journal Scientific Reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.\u00a0<\/p>\n Check us out on EarthSnap<\/a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls<\/a> and Earth.com.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We know that exercise strengthens your muscles, heart, and lungs. But it turns out it also gives your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":195007,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-195006","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195006","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195006"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195006\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195006"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195006"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195006"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}