Fighting Chronic Inflammation - IDEA Health & Fitness Association

• Updated on: 2022-11-18
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Did you know that November is Diabetes Awareness Month? And 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.

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

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 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).

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 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.

See also: Why Exercise Reduces Chronic Inflammation