History of exercise immunology

The study of exercise and immune function has been ongoing since the 19th century. In its early beginnings, the main focus of research was on the measurement of blood leukocytes and infection susceptibility. The study of exercise immunology expanded greatly towards the end of the 20th century, upon the arrival of technical advances in mainstream immunology and because of wider interest in the health benefits of exercise. Now, in the 21st century, exercise immunology is principally focused on how exercise can be harnessed to prevent and treat diseases. Whilst it is not possible to capture every important discovery, the purpose of this chapter is to provide a synopsis of some of the major developments in the field of exercise immunology.