PMID 41675500

Research
All papers

Moving for optimal immunity: the effect of acute high-intensity interval training on phenotype, virus specificity and chemokine receptor expression in human CD8+ T cells

Leuchte K, Luu TV, Fresnillo Saló S, Madsen K, Heide-Ottosen L, Skadborg SK, Kemming JS, Holmström MO, Chen H, Olsen LR, Vinther A, Andersen MH, Hadrup SR, Thor Straten P, Holmen Olofsson G

Question

How does acute high-intensity interval exercise affect CD8+ T-cell phenotype, virus specificity, chemokine receptor expression, and related soluble factors in healthy adults?

Summary

In 23 healthy HLA-A2-positive adults, one physiotherapist-supervised high-intensity interval session rapidly mobilized CD8+ T cells, especially differentiated and virus-reactive subsets, into blood immediately after exercise, followed by egress below or toward baseline by 60 minutes. No adverse events occurred.

Methodology

  • Healthy HLA-A2-positive adults from the INHALE study.
  • 23 participants.
  • Cycling plus circuit warmup.
  • Work intervals: 20 seconds all-out within 3-minute blocks.
  • Recovery: 20 seconds easy pedaling within blocks and 3-minute steady-state sequences between blocks.
  • Intensity: All-out segments aimed at 100% CPET maximal power.
  • About 34 minutes of exercise work described.
  • Single session.
  • One session.
  • Acute mechanistic exercise immunology study
  • CD8 T cells, Virus-reactive T cells, and Adverse events were tracked.

Outcomes

CD8 cells

CD8+ T cells mobilized strongly immediately after HIIT.

+2.6-fold, p<0.0001

Improved

Virus cells

Virus-reactive T cells increased immediately after exercise.

EBV, SARS-CoV-2, CMV and other peptide-reactive cells increased in matching participants

Improved

Safety

No adverse events occurred.

No clear change

Insights

  • Acute HIIT can transiently mobilize immune cells, but this is not the same as proven clinical immune benefit.
  • Individualized intensity testing and supervision were part of the protocol context.
  • Mechanistic immune claims should be scoped to healthy adults and acute time windows.

Limitations

  • Healthy HLA-A2-positive sample limits generalizability.
  • CMV serostatus was unavailable.
  • Recent vaccination history was unavailable.
  • Only acute immune redistribution was measured.

Safety

  • The full text states no adverse events occurred.
  • Participants were healthy and screened; CPET was used before the session.
  • The protocol was supervised by an experienced physiotherapist and individualized by CPET-derived power.