Exercise improves asthma symptoms and reduces lung inflammation, but until now it has not been clear how it does this. New research reveals it protects cells by boosting their natural defences.
Southampton researchers, led by Prof Tom Wilkinson, have shown how women with asthma had better symptoms, quality of life and lung function after an exercise programme. They combined this with tests that showed how changes in their cells and blood led to these improvements.
The results are published in the journal Antioxidants. The study in the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre formed part of Dr Anna Freeman’s research for her PhD.
Protecting cells
We need oxygen to survive, but using it produces ‘reactive oxygen species’ (ROS) which can damage our cells. To cope with this, our cells have in-built defences to prevent them from building up.
Eating a healthy diet, rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, helps protect our cells. So too does exercise.
Exercise as medicine
Six women with asthma followed a specially developed 12-week exercise programme, alongside a clinical assessment of their asthma and tests to measure how effectively their bodies processed ROS.
After completing the programme, the researchers found the women were not only fitter, but also that their asthma symptoms, quality of life and lung function were better.
They also showed a reduction in ‘eosinophilic inflammation’ – lung inflammation caused by a type of white blood cell malfunctioning, which occurs in some types of asthma.
Developing resilience
Participants who were fittest at the end of the programme also had the greatest improvements in the antioxidant capacity in their blood.
The researchers therefore suggest that exercise could improve asthma symptoms by improving the regulation of ROS. In this way, exercise builds resilience and can help people manage their condition.
Dr Freeman, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Respiratory Medicine, said: “This study shows exercise can be an important way for people with asthma to manage their symptoms. But it goes further than this – providing a more detailed understanding of the underlying reasons for why it is so beneficial.
“We now intend to go on to study this in a larger group of people, across multiple sites.”