THE EFFECT OF AEROBIC AND RESISTANCE TRAINING ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

June 2, 2026 updated by: ZEYNEP ÜNVER, Inonu University

AEROBİC AND RESİSTANCE TRAİNİNG EFFECTS ON INFLAMMATORY AND IMMUNE BİOMARKERS İN YOUNG SEDENTARY WOMEN

Six-week exercise interventions in sedentary young women demonstrated that aerobic exercise and resistance exercise differentially optimize inflammatory and immune responses through their effects on osteocalcin and IgM, and IgA, respectively. These distinct effects of exercise modality on immune biomarkers can be utilized to design personalized exercise programs.

Study Overview

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The effects of exercise on the immune system have been studied for many years. Regular physical activity is known to enhance the effectiveness of the immune system by modulating the inflammatory response. Regular exercise has been shown to increase individuals' physical fitness levels. Exercise is used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Consequently, a review of the literature reveals numerous studies indicating that regular exercise positively impacts an individual's health. Regular exercise positively affects all systems of the organism, including the immune system. Changes in the immune system after acute and chronic exercise differ. The effects of exercise on the immune system vary depending on the intensity of the exercise and the physical characteristics of the individuals. While light to moderate exercise strengthens the immune system, intense exercise can suppress it. The effects of exercise on the immune system have been the subject of much research in recent years. However, the effects of different types of exercise (aerobic and resistance training) on immune markers are still not fully understood. Inflammatory markers, particularly C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), play a critical role in assessing the effect of exercise on the immune system. In addition, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) are important biomarkers in evaluating the immune response. This study aims to investigate the chronic effects of a 4-week aerobic and resistance exercise program on the immune system and inflammation. Blood and saliva samples will be collected and analyzed for CRP, IL-6, TNF-α, and immunoglobulin levels. The data obtained will help us understand the specific effects of different types of exercise on inflammatory and immune responses, contributing to more informed exercise prescriptions.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

36

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • University students aged 18-30
  • Individuals who have engaged in recreational exercise at least two days a week for the past three months
  • Those with low or no smoking or alcohol consumption who volunteer to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals who have had an infection or chronic illness in the last 6 months,
  • Those with a history of autoimmune disease,
  • Metabolic syndrome, or cardiovascular disease,
  • Those who have used antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs in the last 3 months,
  • Those who have suffered a serious injury during exercise or are unable to continue are not eligible.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Resistance exercise group
Exercise group completed a 6-week supervised training program consisting of three sessions per week on non-consecutive days. Each session lasted 45-60 minutes and included a standardized warm-up, main exercise phase, and cool-down. Training stimulus was controlled using both internal and external load parameters. Internal load was monitored via heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE), whereas external load was defined by exercise duration, intensity, and training volume.
Behavioral: Aerobic and resistance exercise
Because it was done on young girls who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Experimental: Aerobic Group
The aerobic training group performed continuous exercise on a treadmill or cycle ergometer at 60-75% of heart rate reserve (HRR), corresponding to moderate-to-vigorous intensity. Exercise intensity was continuously monitored using HR and verified with RPE (target: 12-15). A progressive overload approach was applied, with intensity increasing from 60% HRR in the initial weeks to 70-75% HRR in the final phase.
Behavioral: Aerobic and resistance exercise
Because it was done on young girls who lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Experimental: Control group
The control group maintained habitual activities and refrained from structured exercise.
Behavioral: Aerobic and resistance exercise
Because it was done on young girls who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Levels
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Serum C-reactive protein levels will be measured using an ELISA kit to evaluate systemic inflammation. (Unit of measurement: mg/L)
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Change in Interleukin-6 (IL-6) Levels
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Serum interleukin-6 levels will be analyzed to assess pro-inflammatory cytokine response. (Unit of measurement: pg/mL)
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Change in Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) Levels
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels will be measured to evaluate pro-inflammatory cytokine activity. (Unit of measurement: pg/mL)
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Change in Salivary Immunoglobulin A (IgA) Levels
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Salivary Immunoglobulin A levels will be measured to evaluate mucosal immune response. (Unit of measurement: mg/dL)
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Change in Immunoglobulin M (IgM) Levels
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Serum Immunoglobulin M levels will be measured to assess acute infection and humoral immune response. (Unit of measurement: mg/dL)
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Change in Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Levels
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Serum Immunoglobulin G levels will be measured to assess long-term immune memory and humoral immune response. (Unit of measurement: mg/dL)
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Change in Leukocyte (WBC) Count
Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)
Total leukocyte (White Blood Cell) count will be analyzed to assess general immune and inflammatory status. (Unit of measurement: cells/µL)
Baseline (Week 0) and Post-intervention (Week 6)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Inonu University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Fahri Safa Çınarlı, Doç. Dr., Inonu University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 2, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 21, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 2, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 11/03/2025-7252

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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