I’m not going to talk too much about why the topic of immunity is so popular right now, mainly because I don’t think it’s a good idea to spread the fear, but it’s important to talk about ways to limit disease risk and boost immunity. I probably don’t need to give you the lecture on why you should wash your hands and cover your mouth when you cough, especially now, but I did want to talk about ways we think we can increase our immunity.
I think a lot of people out there will tell you that they feel like they are their healthiest when they are living very active lifestyles, but is it true that working out can actually increase your immunity? Or is it all just a myth that’s been made up in order to get us to the gym more often? Today, I want to dive into some current research that will shed some light on exercise and immunity.
Short term Exercise and immunity
If you’re feeling sick, does getting a quick work out in actually help to boost your immunity? Studies show that acute vigorous exercise actually results in a temporary decline in immune competency for several hours after the event. While your body responds to this decline in response, you are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infection. So if you are starting to feel the symptoms of a cold or the flu coming on, you might want to get home and get some rest instead of hit the gym thinking you are going to sweat it out (Campbell & Turner, 2018).
Regular Exercise and immunity
On the other hand, other studies have found that exercise can reduce the incidence of infection. In fact some of these studies have found that number of training hours a year are inversely correlated with sick days. Ultramarathon runners report fewer days of work missed due to illness compared to the average population. Studies also showed that athletes undertaking large training loads become less ill than athletes with lighter training loads. This may have to do with the fact elite athletes are more adapted to the demand of their training routine (Campbell & Turner, 2018).
Daily, or near-daily, acute exercise (less than 60 minutes at moderate to vigorous intensity) has been shown to stimulate the exchange of immune cells between the circulation and tissues. Research suggests that each bout of exercise improves the activity of tissues and enhances immunoglobulins, anti-inflammatory cytokines, T-cells, and other important immune responses (Nieman & Wentz, 2019).
Intense Exercise and immunity
Some small scale studies have actually found that upper respiratory infection symptoms are higher in elite athletes with fast face times and greater training volumes. This is potentially due to over-training which tires the body and increases the risk for infection due to psychological stress and nutritional deficiencies. Researchers also believe that events such as marathons increase the risk of acquiring infectious pathogens due to a mass gathering of people (Campbell & Turner, 2018). All in all, High exercise training workloads affect physiological, metabolic, and psychological stress and can cause immune disturbances, inflammation, and oxidative stress, leading to increased risk of disease (Nieman & Wentz, 2019).
So what’s best?
Does this mean that you should stop training hard for that marathon or stop working so hard towards your goals? Absolutely not! Just because you put a lot of hours in at the gym doesn’t mean you are going to get sick. Psychological responses, external factors, and lifestyle strategies all play into how our bodies react to viral and bacterial infections, meaning that what works well for one person, may not work well for another. Everyone responds differently. The best we can do is have a regular exercise routine, a healthy nutrition plan, and good hygiene (plus vaccinations and regular sleep). If you feel good about your training schedule and how intense your exercise is, keep at it. You’ll know your body and you’ll know when you need to take a break! Isn’t understanding our bodies what we athletes pride ourselves on? So much goes into the immune function that it’s nearly impossible to put all your eggs in one exercise-related basket. Don’t sweat it. Just get to the gym and sweat that!
Keep in mind that this is an area of study that is very well researched and because it is so well looked into and studied there are a lot of contradictory studies out there. I only reviewed two recent ones today, but there are a ton more out there always going on. Again, everyone’s systems are different and so many factors play into immunity that this is an area of research that will be going on for a long time!
So in the meantime, I say you do you. Wash your hands and cover your mouth when you cough, and do us all a favor and get your annual flu shot. But I won’t rant on and on about that.
Anyway, do you guys feel you get less sick when you have a regular workout routine? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
Kat
Sources and further reading:
Campbell, J. P., & Turner, J. E. (2018). Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 648. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00648
Nieman, D.C., Wentz, L.M. (2019). The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. Journal of Sport and Health Sciences. 8(3), 201-2017. Doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2018.09.009
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