The effect of 6-month aerobic exercise on levels of serum immunoglobulins in untrained middle-aged women

 Background and Objective: The results of researches have shown that heavy
and prolonged exercise increases the risk of upper respiratory tract infection
in athletics. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a 6 month
aerobic exercise on the levels of serum immunoglobulin in untrained middle-aged
women.   Materials and Methods: For this study, nineteen healthy female
middle-aged personnel of Ferdowsi university of Mashhad were selected by convenience sampling method
and were randomly divided into two experimental (11 people) and control (8
people) groups. The exercise protocol included aerobic exercise training
lasting for 6 months and 3 sessions per week and every session lasted for 60
minutes and with an intensity of 55-65 percent of heart rate reserve. Blood
samples were taken and serum immunoglobulin (IgA, IgM, and IgG) were measured
before and after 6 month aerobic training period. For comparison of means within
and between groups, paired-samples t test and independent t-test were used,
respectively at a significance level of p < 0.05.   Results: The findings showed that the level of serum immunoglobulin G in
middle-aged women reduced significantly. However, the levels of immunoglobulin
M and A during this period did not significantly change.   Conclusion: It is concluded that intensity and duration of exercise affect the
performance of the immune system and increase the risk of infection.
Researchers believed that long and intensive exercises weaken the immune system
while moderate and short exercises make this system strengthened.