Pro-Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines in Older Men Participating in an Aquatic Exercise Programme and a Multicomponent Exercise Programme: A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

Background: Ageing is associated with changes in the immune system that may contribute to a chronic low-grade inflammatory state (inflammaging). Regular physical exercise has been recognized as an important non-pharmacological strategy for modulating this process. However, studies comparing different exercise modalities in exclusively male samples remain scarce. To compare pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in older men participating in an aquatic exercise programme and a land-based multicomponent exercise programme. Methods: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted with 15 older men allocated to two groups: aquatic exercise (AE) (n = 7; 70.8 ± 4.5 years) and multicomponent exercise (ME) (n = 8; 75.4 ± 4.1 years). The cytokines IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-1ra were analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Body composition was assessed as a secondary variable to characterise the sample. Group comparisons were performed using Student’s t-test, Welch’s t-test, or the Mann–Whitney U test, according to data distribution and homogeneity. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, or IL-1ra concentrations. Likewise, no significant differences were found in the body composition variables analysed. Effect sizes were generally trivial to small, except for muscle mass, which showed a moderate effect. Conclusions: In this sample, older men participating in aquatic exercise and land-based multicomponent exercise exhibited similar inflammatory profiles. Future studies with larger samples and longitudinal and intervention designs are needed to clarify the effects of these exercise modalities on the inflammatory profile of older men.