Physical Exercises and its Effects over the Immune System of the Elderly

  • Vinícius Coneglian Santos UNICSUL
  • Aniely Coneglian Santos Faculdade Pitágoras
Keywords: Elderly, Immune System, Physical Exercise.

Abstract

The aging causes several types of changes in the immune system, which in general are known as immunosenescence. The immunosenescence causes physiological changes with direct impact on both innate and acquired immune system, triggering an increase in the incidence of infectious diseases, morbidity and mortality among elderly. The aim of this research was to demonstrate that participation in physical activities is an important way to contain the immune alterations caused by aging. The exercise, when performed properly, can provide the elderly with many benefits including: increase in functional capacity, reduction in the incidence of infections, improvement in the cardiovascular health, increase in muscle mass, improvement in the psychological aspect, and others. The exercise also impacts on various aspects of the immune response of elderly, including proliferative activity of T cells, activity of natural killer cells (NK) and cytokine production. Therefore, well oriented physical activity programs may be an effective means to contain the immune alterations caused by aging.

Author Biographies

Vinícius Coneglian Santos, UNICSUL
Mestrando em Ciências do Movimento Humano pela Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul - UNICSUL-SP; Especialista em Anatomia Funcional pela Centro Universitário de Maringá – CESUMAR – Pólo Minas Gerais; Fisioterapeuta. E-mail: vini_fisiouel@yahoo.com.br
Aniely Coneglian Santos, Faculdade Pitágoras
Mestre em Meio Ambiente pelo Centro Universitário de Caratinga - UNEC-MG; Especialista em Gerontologia e Enfermagem do Trabalho pela Centro Universitário do Leste de Minas Gerais - UNILESTE; Especialista em Saúde da Família pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG; Docente de Enfermagem da Faculdade Pitágoras. E-mail: aniely16@yahoo.com.br
Published
2010-06-04
Section
Artigos Originais