Dose–Response Effects of Prescribed Physical Exercise on Immune Function and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-807-8_17How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Exercise prescription; Dose–response; Immune function; Health outcomes; Nonpharmacological immunotherapy

Abstract

Background

Physical exercise is widely recognized as a potent non-pharmacological strategy that yields substantial immunological and clinical benefits. However, conventional literature frequently relies on binary comparisons (active versus inactive), thereby limiting the mechanistic understanding of the optimal exercise “dosage” required for precise immunomodulation. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the quantitative dose–response relationship between structured physical exercise, adaptive immune responses, and clinical health outcomes. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to February 2026. Eligible studies comprised randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical interventions that specified explicit exercise dose parameters (intensity, frequency, duration, modality) and quantified measurable immunological or clinical endpoints. Data synthesis was performed utilizing a random-effects model alongside dose–response and subgroup analyses. Results: Twenty-one studies fulfilled the rigorous inclusion criteria. Prescribed physical exercise performed at moderate-to-high intensities significantly enhanced immune function, characterized by elevated natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic activity, robust T- and B-cell proliferation, and an optimized pro- versus anti-inflammatory cytokine balance. These cellular adaptations directly correlated with diminished systemic inflammation, enhanced metabolic homeostasis, and superior quality-of-life indices. Dose–response mathematical modeling unveiled a distinctive non-linear (U-or J-shaped) relationship. Optimal immunotherapeutic efficacy was clustered at 30–60 minutes per session, at least three times per week, at an intensity of ≥ 60% of maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max). Conversely, exhaustive exercise configurations approaching or exceeding 90% VO2max triggered transient adverse systemic inflammatory spikes. Conclusion & Clinical Implications: Structured physical exercise exhibits a quantifiable dose–response profile on immune and clinical outcomes, validating its clinical implementation as a viable non-pharmacological immunotherapy. These findings provide an empirical foundation for precision exercise prescriptions within preventative medicine and clinical rehabilitation frameworks.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Alvino Ramadhany Putra
AU  - Moch. Yunus
AU  - Nanang Tri Wahyudi
AU  - Faiz Apta Zufartsany
AU  - Izzah Fadhilah Robbani
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/24
TI  - Dose–Response Effects of Prescribed Physical Exercise on Immune Function and Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
BT  - Proceedings of the Malang International Conference on Medical and Health Sciences (MICROMEDHS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 209
EP  - 224
SN  - 2468-5739
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-807-8_17
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-807-8_17
ID  - Putra2026
ER  -