The Effect of Aerobic Exercise and Low-Impact Pilates Workout on the Adaptive Immune System

Abstract

Growing evidence indicates the pronounced effects of physical activity on immune functions, which may largely depend on the type of exercise, intensity, and duration. However, limited information is available regarding the effects of low-impact exercises, especially on the level of adaptive immune system. Our study aimed to investigate and compare the changes in a broad spectrum of lymphocyte subtypes after 14 weeks of aerobic-type total-body-shaping workouts (TBSW) and Pilates workouts (PW) among healthy individuals. We determined the percentages of peripheral natural killer cells and different T and B lymphocyte subtypes with flow cytometry. At the end of the exercise program, significant changes in naïve and memory lymphocyte ratios were observed in TBSW group. Percentages of naïve cytotoxic T (Tc) cells elevated, frequencies of memory Tc and T-helper cell subsets decreased, and distribution of naïve and memory B cells rearranged. Proportions of activated T cells also showed significant changes. Nonetheless, percentages of anti-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-10-producing regulatory type 1 cells and immunosuppressive CD4⁺CD127^lo/-CD25^bright T regulative cells decreased not only after TBSW but also after PW. Although weekly performed aerobic workouts may have a more pronounced impact on the adaptive immune system than low-impact exercises, both still affect immune regulation in healthy individuals.

Keywords: Pilates; adaptive immunity; aerobic exercise; interleukin-10; regulatory T cell.

Figure 1

The distribution of peripheral lymphocyte subsets in young women before and after the exercise course. The whole blood of 32 healthy volunteers was stained with labelled monoclonal antibodies, as described previously. According to the exercise courses, the trainees were divided into total-body-shaping workout (TBSW, n = 18) and Pilates workout (PW, n = 14) subgroups. (a) Representative dot plots and a histogram show the gating strategy of CD3⁻CD16⁺CD56⁺ NK, CD19⁺ B, and CD3⁺CD16⁻CD56⁻ T cell populations. The bar chart shows the percentages of NK, B, and T cells. (b) The representative histogram shows the gating of CD3⁺ cells, and the dot plots demonstrate the distribution of CD4⁺ Th and CD8⁺ Tc cells. The bar chart indicates the frequencies of Th and Tc cells. Data analysis was performed with repeated measures two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni multiple comparisons test. Each data point represents an individual subject, while bars show the mean values.

Figure 2

Assessment of naïve and memory lymphocyte subsets in young women after a 14-week workout program. The whole blood of 32 healthy individuals was stained with fluorochrome-labeled monoclonal antibodies, as described previously. According to the exercise courses, the trainees were divided into total-body-shaping workout (TBSW, n = 18) and Pilates workout (PW, n = 14) subgroups. (a) Representative dot plot indicates the distribution of IgD⁺CD27⁻ naïve, IgD⁻CD27⁻ double negative (DN), IgD⁻CD27⁺ switched, and IgD⁺CD27⁺ un-switched memory B cells. The bar chart shows the percentages of B cell subsets. (b) Representative dot plot demonstrates the distribution of CD45RA⁺CD62L⁺ naïve, CD45RA⁻CD62L⁻ effector memory (EM), CD45RA⁻CD62L⁺ central (CM) and CD45RA⁺CD62L⁻ effector memory (EMRA) Th cells. The bar chart indicates the frequencies of Th cell subpopulations. (c) Representative dot plot demonstrates the distribution of CD45RA⁺CD62L⁺ naïve, CD45RA⁻CD62L⁻ EM, CD45RA⁻CD62L⁺ CM and CD45RA⁺CD62L⁻ EMRA Tc cells. The bar chart indicates the frequencies of Tc cell subpopulations. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was used. Each data point represents an individual subject, while bars show the mean values. Statistically significant differences are indicated by * p < 0.05.

Figure 3

Measurement of lymphocytes with a regulatory function in young women after a 14-week exercise program. The whole blood of 32 healthy volunteers was stained with labelled monoclonal antibodies, as described previously. According to the exercise courses, the trainees were divided into total-body-shaping workout (TBSW, n = 18) and Pilates workout (PW, n = 14) subgroups. (a) Representative dot plots demonstrate the identification of CD3⁺HLA-DR⁺ late-activated and CD3⁺CD69⁺ early activated T cells. The bar chart indicates the frequencies of activated T cells. (b) Representative dot plot indicates the identification of CD4⁺CD25^brightCD127^lo/− Treg cells within CD4⁺ T cells. The bar chart indicates the ratio of Treg cells. (c) Representative dot plot shows the determination, and the bar chart indicates the frequencies of CD3⁺6B11⁺ NKT cells. 6B11 is referred to as the invariant NKT (iNKT) marker. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was used for activated T cells, and paired T-test or Wilcoxon test was used for the statistical analysis of NKT and Treg cells. Each data point represents an individual subject, while bars show the mean values. Statistically significant differences are indicated by * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01.

Figure 4

Determination of T helper and T cytotoxic cells with intracellular cytokine analysis in young women before and after the exercise program. The whole blood of 32 healthy participants was stimulated for 5h and stained with monoclonal antibodies with the intracellular staining method described previously. According to the exercise courses, the trainees were divided into total-body-shaping workout (TBSW, n = 14) and Pilates workout (PW, n = 14) subgroups. (a) Frequencies of IFN-γ⁺ Th1 and IL-4⁺ Th2 cells. (b) Percentages of IL-17⁺ Th17 cells. (c) The ratio of IFN-γ-producing Tc cells. (d) Proportions of IL-10-producing type-1 regulatory (Tr1) cells. A paired T-test was used. Each data point represents an individual subject, while bars show the mean values. Statistically significant differences are indicated by * p < 0.05.