Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Physical Exercise on Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is a disease of epidemic proportions, associated with chronic inflammation in response to increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines originating in adipose tissue. Exercise has been shown to be effective in combating these changes. The aim of this study was to review the anti-inflammatory effect of physical exercise in the pathogenesis of obesity. We conducted a search of the terms “exercise”, “obesity” and “inflammation” on Medline and PubMed databases, restricting results to clinical trials published since 2011. The retrieved studies showed that physical exercise could, via different pathways, reduce levels of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α, as well as other proinflammatory markers. Additionally, exercise was able to increase expression of genes related to the production of nitric oxide, positively modulating endothelial function and chronic inflammation in obese patients, with or without caloric restriction. In conclusion, aerobic exercise of moderate intensity is an effective intervention strategy for chronic inflammation associated with obesity.