Fighting Chronic Inflammation
Exercise can help counteract diseases like diabetes that are associated with chronic low-grade inflammation.
Did you know that obesity can lead to alterations in the composition and number of immune cells related to chronic inflammation?
Len Kravitz, PhD, professor and program coordinator of exercise science at the University of New Mexico, and his associates Gabriella Bellissimo, MA, and Jessica Smith, MS, provide the low-down on inflammation and explain how exercise can combat chronic inflammation and how this impacts those with diabetes.
Acute Versus Chronic Inflammation
Common triggers of inflammation are infection and tissue injury (Medzhitov 2008). Air pollution, poor water quality and other environmental factors can also trigger and sustain inflammation. A first line of defense is short-term acute inflammation, in which immune cells, anti-inflammatory agents and tissue-remodeling processes act against tissue injury or risky substances (i.e., antigens such as allergens, toxins or pathogens) (Chung et al. 2019).
Acute inflammation is vital, but problems arise when the acute inflammatory response fails to resolve the harmful cellular intrusion. More defense components are mobilized, leading to a persistent, low-grade, long-term immune response known as chronic inflammation and a host of potentially serious health challenges.
See also: Inflammation: Obesity, Diabetes, Aging and Exercise
Inflammation and Obesity
The science behind why long-term inflammation leads to health challenges is complicated, but here’s a brief look at obesity and inflammation. Obesity leads to alterations in the composition and number of immune cells produced by adipocytes (a cell specialized for the storage of fat). The outcome is a low-grade inflammation that is associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Chronic stress often aggravates this response.
The Benefits of Exercise: What the Research Say
The good news is that regular physical activity is an effective protector and treatment against chronic diseases associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. Muscle contractions from exercise increase the release of specific types of proteins that help counteract insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (Mathur & Pedersen 2008).
Aerobic Exercise
When researchers compared the effects of low- versus moderate-intensity exercise, they found that moderate intensity was more successful in managing low-grade inflammation (Krause et al. 2014).
A study of male and female patients with stable coronary heart disease showed that the anti-inflammatory benefits of aerobic exercise can be achieved using a variety of modalities. For instance, researchers have found moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed for 45 minutes 3 days a week for 12 weeks, on equipment such as a treadmill, stationary bike, arm bicycle, rowing machine or combination of these options, was effective at reducing basal levels of several pro-inflammatory proteins. It also helped increase the production of helpful anti-inflammatory cytokines (specialized proteins that help the body’s immune system) (Goldhammer et al. 2005).
For previously sedentary individuals, the intensity of aerobic exercise can gradually progress from low to moderate over the course of months and can have a similar, very positive effect on low-grade inflammation (Kohut et al. 2006).
Resistance Exercise
Resistance training provides health-related benefits such as improvements in the metabolic profile of people with type 2 diabetes and overall improvements in body composition (Calle & Fernandez 2010). Resistance exercise programming (intensity, volume and rest intervals) also positively influences the inflammatory response. Adaptations from long-term training elicit a shift to an anti-inflammatory response (Calle & Fernandez 2010).
This beneficial effect can be achieved when training protocols use moderate-intensity workloads and provide a sufficient volume of exercise (number of exercises, frequency and duration of intervention) for each muscle group (3–5 sets, 10 repetitions). Sardeli et al. (2018) concur that higher-volume workouts with moderate-intensity resistance training protocols appear to play a positive role in its anti-inflammatory effects.
Rethink Holiday Splurges
It can be tempting to load up on high-calorie, high-fat foods because they are everywhere during the holidays! However, you can lessen the chance of getting diabetes by exercising and eating only a small amount of treats during the holidays.
References
Calle, M.C., & Fernandez, M.L. 2010. Effects of resistance training on the inflammatory response. Nutrition Research and Practice, 4 (4), 259–69.
Chung, H.Y., et al. 2019. Redefining chronic inflammation in aging and age-related diseases: Proposal of the senoinflammation concept. Aging and Disease, 10 (2), 367–82.
Goldhammer, E., et al. 2005. Exercise training modulates cytokines activity in coronary heart disease patients. International Journal of Cardiology, 100 (1), 93–99.
Kohut, M.L., et al. 2006. Aerobic exercise, but not flexibility/resistance exercise, reduces serum IL-18, CRP, and IL-6 independent of b-blockers, BMI, and psychosocial factors in older adults. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 20 (3), 201–9.
Krause, M., et al. 2014. The effects of aerobic exercise training at two different intensities in obesity and type 2 diabetes: Implications for oxidative stress, low-grade inflammation and nitric oxide production. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 114 (2), 251–60.
Mathur, N., & Pedersen, B.K. 2008. Exercise as a mean to control low-grade systemic inflammation. Mediators of Inflammation, doi:10.1155/2008/109502.
Medzhitov, R. 2008. Origin and physiological roles of inflammation. Nature, 454, 428–35.
Sardeli, A.V., et al. 2018. Effect of resistance training on inflammatory markers of older adults: A meta-analysis. Experimental Gerontology, 111, 188–96.
