What does excess weight do to your inflammation levels?
Excess weight structurally raises your inflammation levels through multiple biological pathways. Exercise, and strength training in particular, is a concrete tool for partly reversing that effect.
Excess weight keeps the immune system in a state of persistent, low-grade activation. Multiple studies consistently show that people with excess weight have higher levels of inflammatory substances in the blood. This inflammation is not acute like an infection, but creeping and sustained. It increases as the excess weight becomes more severe: at a BMI above 40, measured values are clearly higher than in mild overweight.
Fatty tissue itself is a major driver of this inflammation. As fat accumulates, immune cells infiltrate the fatty tissue. These cells cause local inflammation there, but also release substances into the bloodstream that affect the entire body. At the same time, levels of adiponectin fall -- a hormone that fat cells normally produce and that has an anti-inflammatory effect. With excess weight, less of it is produced, and the body also responds to it less effectively.
Two other mechanisms make the picture more complex. First, excess weight disrupts the gut microbiome and makes the gut wall more permeable. This allows bacterial substances to enter the bloodstream more easily and fuel the inflammatory response. Second, excess weight often leads to fat accumulation in the liver. This fatty liver disease in turn contributes to greater systemic inflammation, which then worsens the liver disease further.
This chronic inflammation does not come without consequences. It increases the tendency for blood clots to form and plays a small but measurable role in the elevated risk of depression seen in people with excess weight. A pro-inflammatory diet (high in processed foods, low in fibre) makes things worse.
There is also good news: twelve weeks of strength training three times per week measurably reduced the inflammatory markers CRP and TNF-alpha in men with excess weight, and raised adiponectin. Combined upper- and lower-body training produced the strongest effect, but training of just one body region was already beneficial.
Claims are based on multiple studies, including large observational datasets (>11,000 participants) and smaller intervention RCTs. The causal direction (excess weight causes inflammation) is considered biologically plausible, but most associations are supported by observational or mechanistic evidence rather than always being demonstrated through randomised trials.
What does chronic sleep deprivation do to your inflammation in the long run?
Chronic sleep deprivation demonstrably raises inflammatory markers in your blood and is linked to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia; getting enough sleep is therefore one of the most concrete things you can do yourself to limit chronic inflammation.
Does stress really lower your immune system?
Prolonged stress demonstrably lowers your immune system: fewer active immune cells, a weaker response to vaccines and a greater risk of infections. Short-term stress has precisely the opposite effect and makes your immune system briefly more alert.
What does sleep deprivation do to your immune system?
Sleep deprivation demonstrably weakens your immune system: sleeping fewer than six hours significantly increases your infection risk and impairs your immune cells. Make sure to structurally get seven hours or more, because a single recovery night is not enough to repair the damage.
Why do you get sick more often when you are on a diet?
A low-calorie diet can weaken your immune system through deficiencies in minerals such as magnesium, disrupted gut bacteria and suppressed immune responses. When dieting, pay attention to adequate micronutrient intake to limit this risk.
What is the relationship between high blood pressure and inflammation?
High blood pressure and inflammation reinforce each other mutually, and higher inflammatory values in the blood mean a measurably greater risk of serious cardiovascular disease in people with high blood pressure. Have your blood pressure and CRP checked regularly, especially if you have other risk factors such as diabetes or excess weight.
Can your gut microbiome influence inflammation in your body?
Your gut microbiome can influence inflammatory processes throughout your body via the gut wall. Eating more fibre and exercising regularly are the most well-supported ways to influence this favourably.