Scientists at Harvard Medical School (HMS) have found that the health benefits of exercise are due, at least in part, to changes in immune cells that occur only with regular exercise. The research was published in the journal Science Immunology.
In a new study, biologists compared the muscle cells of two groups of mice after exercise. While the animals in the first group exercised regularly on the treadmill, the animals in the second group ran on the treadmill only once. The researchers then compared them to muscle cells obtained from the hind legs of sedentary mice.
Both groups of exercised mice showed signs of inflammation, including increased interferon levels. In more active mice, Treg cells of the immune system reduced exercise-induced inflammation. None of these changes were observed in sedentary mice.
Interestingly, exercise improved the health of mice that only exercised regularly. Experiments showed that in this group, Treg cells not only suppressed exercise-induced inflammation and muscle damage, but also altered muscle metabolism and improved muscle performance. Further analysis confirmed that these cells were responsible for the improvements in body functions observed in animals that exercised regularly.
The absence of Tregs led to inflammation in muscles and an increase in the size of mitochondria, the cell’s energy stations, indicative of metabolic disorders. Importantly, Treg-deficient animals were unable to adapt to exercise over time. This means that immune cells play an important role in improving exercise performance.
Scientists believe exercise may be an important way to combat inflammation, which increases with aging and autoimmune diseases. However, its results need to be confirmed in the human body.
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