Exercise Immunology

Exercise immunology is a discipline at the nexus of exercise physiology and immunology that aims to characterise the effects of exercise on the immune system in health and disease. This new edition of Exercise Immunology begins by providing an evidence-based introduction to the effects that individual bouts of exercise and exercise training have on the characteristics and functioning of the immune system.

In addition to introducing the immune system and summarising how different forms of exercise affect the characteristics and functioning of the immune system, this new and fully revised edition will explore exercise immunology in the context of immune ageing, cancer, autoimmune diseases and cardiometabolic disease. In addition, the authors discuss other factors that impact immune health, such as nutrition and environmental stressors, and explain the physiological basis of how exercise changes immune function across the healthspan and lifespan.

This book is written by leading exercise immunologists and is structured to provide a suggested curriculum of an exercise immunology degree component. Every chapter includes summaries of current and up-to-date research and offers practical guidelines to translate laboratory-based information into clinical settings. This textbook is essential for any exercise immunology degree component or advanced exercise physiology degree and will be vital reading for students in exercise and biological sciences and clinicians and researchers interested in the therapeutic applications of exercise.

James Turner, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). James started his independent academic career in the Department for Health at the University of Bath between 2013-2023. Previously at the University of Birmingham, James undertook post-doctoral training in cancer immunology between 2011-2013 and undertook a PhD between 2007-2010 examining exercise and immune system ageing. The research James leads explores interaction between lifestyle and mechanisms of ageing and disease, spanning two themes: overweight/obesity and immune system ageing (with focus on adipose tissue immunology) and physical activity and cancer immunology (with focus on factors that influence treatment outcomes).

Guillaume Spielmann, PhD is an Associate Professor of Exercise Immunology at Louisiana State University (United States). Guillaume acquired his PhD at Edinburgh Napier University (United Kingdom) and continued his training at the University of Houston between 2012-2015. Guillaume’s research focuses on the impact of exercise on immune ageing and chronic disease risks including cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. Over the past decade, he has also published numerous manuscripts on the effects of exercise and psychological stress on the immune function of patients, athletes and tactical athletes, such as astronauts. He is a member of several sport science societies worldwide, including the International Society of Exercise Immunology and the American College of Sports Medicine.

John Campbell, PhD is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in the Department for Health at the University of Bath (United Kingdom). John trained at the Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham Medical School, after acquiring his PhD from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Birmingham. Prior to that, John obtained a BSc in Sport and Exercise Sciences from Edinburgh Napier University. John’s principal area of research is understanding how exercise and other lifestyle factors alter anti-cancer immunity. John also conducts research in cancer immunodiagnostics, and is a co-inventor of numerous blood cancer tests.