Abstract
Physical activity promotes a healthy immune system which may be of particular importance for older adults since immunosenescence is a major concern for this population. In this study we investigated differences in physical activity levels, stress levels, and immune biomarkers in young versus elderly participants. We then looked for associations between physical activity and stress with immune biomarkers. 19 young adults (18–45 yrs) and 19 gender-, race-, and BMI-matched elderly adults (>60 yrs) completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Beck Depression Inventory Fast Screen (BDI-FS), and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S/T), and donated blood for assessment of CD4+ T cell biomarkers. The elderly group had significantly lower scores on the PSS, BDI-FS, STAIS, and STAIT; had a tendency to engage in more hours of moderate physical activities each week; and had a significantly higher Tr1 and a significantly lower Th3 compared to the young group. Age significantly moderated the relationship between physical activity and both Tr1 cells and IFNgamma production. For the stress measures, age significantly moderated the relationship between Th3 cells and depression. These data show that immune biomarkers in elderly people may be affected differently by exercise and stress compared to young people.
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