A systematic review of the effects of exercise training in low-temperature environments on immune regulation and infection defense
MAO Sujie
WANG Jingfeng
QIAN Guoping
GAO Jie
WANG Yanan
ZHU Jiabin
Abstract：By integrating existing research,this paper systematically analyzes the impact of exercise training in low-temperature environments on immune regulation and infection defense,in order to explore its potential benefits and risks.Strictly following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses:2020(PRISMA 2020)guidelines,multiple databases were systematically reviewed,to include original studies on the impact of exercise training in low-temperature environments on immune regulation and infection defense,and to evaluate the quality of the studies.The 25 included literature indicated that moderate-intensity exercise training in low-temperature environments could cause an increase in white blood cell count,neutrophils and natural killer cells,changes in both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors,and predominant upregulation of most mucosal immunity level,as well as accelerated infection recovery in several studies.High-intensity exercise training in low-temperature environments has shown an immunosuppressive trend in individual studies,and physiological indicators such as body temperature,heart rate and metabolism have also been affected to varying degrees.This suggests that moderate-intensity exercise training in a low-temperature environment is conducive to enhancing immunity and preventing infection,which is of great significance for health management and occupational protection in cold climates.Reasonable control of exercise intensity and duration in a low-temperature environment is crucial for preventing immunosuppression.
Keywords：low-temperature environmentimmune regulationupper respiratory tract infectioninfection defenseexercise adaptation mechanismreview
Publication Date：2025-08-28
Online Publishing Date：2025-11-25(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：12( 590-601 )