Immune System and Its Adaptation to Exercise

Abstract

It is well known that exercise has an effect on the functioning of the immune system. Aging, the increase in chronic diseases, and the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, which started in Wuhan, China, in 2019 and spread all over the world, have led to an intense increase in research related to how to strengthen the immune system. Studies are in agreement that moderate-intensity regular exercise has positive effects on the immune system, whereas high-intensity/long-term exercise suppresses the immune system temporarily. The most important factor affecting the adaptation of the immune system to acute and chronic exercise is the dosage of exercise. It is necessary to know the acute and chronic responses of the immune system to exercise in order to create an individual-specific exercise prescription in health and disease conditions. In this chapter, the immune system structure and functions, immune system adaptations to aerobic and resistance exercise training, and the factors affecting these adaptations will be explained.