Introduction: Chronic inflammation is thought to play a role in disease development and functional decline during aging. The purpose of this research was to examine the influence of regular physical activity, independent of disease and disability, on the levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in older (65-74 yr) males.
Methods: Subjects were carefully screened for participation in this study based upon the SENIEUR protocol. In addition, subjects were selected based upon their weekly volume of aerobic exercise. Twelve extremely healthy "SENIEUR" males (six very active, six less active) completed this study. Serum concentrations of MIP-1alpha, IL-1ra, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, and C-Reactive protein were measured by ELISA.
Results: The very active group demonstrated significantly lower levels of IL-6 (P = 0.016) and significantly higher levels of IL-10 (P = 0.016) compared with the less active group.
Conclusions: The higher volume of regular physical activity was associated with decreased IL-6 levels and increased IL-10 levels in very healthy older males. Thus, exercise may play a vital role in controlling inflammatory markers during the aging process.