McMaster University Aerobic Anti Aging Study

Exercise Fitness vs Immune System Aging Process

Feb 10, 2009

McMaster University analyzed controlled exercise studies in older adults. The goal was to determine if regular exercise affected the immune system and aging.

To determine if exercise affects the immune system aging process, MCMaster University Department of Medicine, Health Sciences, and Rheumatology Division compared the findings of controlled anti aging studies. The university published their report, November 2008, titled, Is Regular Exercise a Friend or Foe of the Aging Immune System? A Systematic Review, on the PubMed web site. The authors are Haaland DA, Sabljic TF, Baribeau DA, Mukovozov IM, and Hart LE. McMaster University is located in Ontario, Canada. The PubMed site is the U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information, sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Benefits to Aerobic Exercise Routines

Regular exercise is a friend of the immune system, especially aerobic exercise, as well as other systems according to the McMaster University study. The controlled study used electronic databases to search for information using the key words, “immunology, exercise, and aging.” These databases were explored:

Controlled studies were selected if the trials were conducted for a period of four weeks or more in an older, but otherwise healthy group. Nineteen articles about seventeen controlled studies were selected, and according to the McMaster study “Data regarding the participants, interventions, and laboratory and clinical immunologic outcomes were synthesized.”

The McMaster University findings were that in “...healthy older adults, regular, particularly aerobic, exercise appears to be a friend of the immune system...” The study warns that ballistic (very strenuous) exercise could cause, in older adults, “...immunologic changes...could predispose to infection in certain individuals.” The findings conclude that regular exercise not only benefits the immune system, but other systems that affect aging and health..

What is Aerobic Activity?

The Free Dictionary’s Medical Dictionary on-line defines “aerobic activity” as “Exercise training that is geared to provide a sufficient cardiovascular overload to stimulate increases in cardiac output...designed to increase oxygen consumption by the body.”

Treadmills & Recumbent Bike Exercise Equipment

Dr. Elizabeth Quinn provides her choice of exercise equipment for aerobics and more in her article, dated June 21, 2007, titled, Top 10 Home Exercise Equipment Choices. The article is published on-line by About dot com. Dr. Quinn is a physiologist and fitness consultant. She says about treadmills, “For running and walking indoors with weight loss and heart health benefits.” She states about recumbent cycles and stationary bikes, “Exercise bikes provide a non-impact cardiovascular workout...recumbent cycles [provide] lower back support and less stress to knees compared to upright bike.”

The McMasters University study evaluated other exercise vs aging controlled studies on older adults. The age group was not revealed in the study. The conclusions were that aerobic exercise did have an anti aging benefit to the immune system and other (unnamed) systems. Walking, swimming, and any other moderate exercise that stimulates the heart, is considered aerobic activity according to Dr. Elizabeth Quinn. In addition, additional exercise equipment, such as Pilates, for aerobics is available but not vital to an exercise routine.

The copyright of the article McMaster University Aerobic Anti Aging Study in Aerobic Conditioning is owned by Bernard P. Nelson. Permission to republish McMaster University Aerobic Anti Aging Study in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.