By Jonathon Stavres MS, ACSM-EP-C
Winter is here! And so is the flu, a cold, and nasal congestion. It seems inevitable that you will eventually come down with something and then be part of the long chain of rotating sick days in the office. We always hear the common recommendations to avoid getting sick; those being to wash your hands, avoid places where you know people are sick, and stay home if you are sick. However, there may be another way to prepare yourself for this season.
Exercise can boost your immune system
Research has shown that exercise not only benefits our general fitness level, but it can also boost our immune system. Karacabey et al. (2005) examined the effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on immune function and found that moderate exercise improved immune function after only one session. This same study also compared immune function between previously trained and untrained women and found that regular moderate intensity exercise relates to an improved basal immune function.
This is not the only study to compare immune function between trained and untrained individuals. Zheng et al. (2015) compared the immune response to the introduction of a microbial antigen between a group that regularly exercised (a university badminton team) and a sedentary control group. Results from this study indicated that the active group exhibited enhanced immune cell activation in response to the pathogen compared to the sedentary group.
These results, combined with others, indicate that regular physical exercise can promote immune function. However, there is a limit to this relationship.
Acute high intensity exercise may suppress the immune system
While regular physical exercise might improve immune function, there is a well documented increased risk of upper respiratory infection in competitive athletes during season and heavy training (Gleeson & Pyne, 2016). This is partly due to a documented impairment in immune function following acute high intensity training, termed the “open window” (Kakanis et al., 2010).
Therefore, acute high intensity exercise may create a short period of time (immediately following exercise) where the immune system is suppressed and you are more susceptible to illness.
Ultimately, participating in a moderate intensity regular exercise program may prepare you for, and protect you during the sick season.
Article’s Resources
Gleeson, M., & Pyne, D. B. (2016). Respiratory inflammation and infections in high performance athletes. Immunol Cell Biol, 94(2), 124-131. doi: 10.1038/icb.2015.100
Kakanis, M. W., Peake, J., Brenu, E. W., Simmonds, M., Gray, B., Hooper, S. L., & Marshall Gradisnik, S. M. (2010). The open window of susceptibility to infection after acute exercise in healthy young male elite athletes. Exerc Immunol Rev, 16, 119-137.
Karacabey, K., Saygin, O., Ozmerdivenli, R., Zorba, E., Godekmerdan, A., & Bulut, V. (2005). The effects of exercise on the immune system and stress hormones in sportswomen. Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 26(4), 361-366.
Zheng, Q., Cui, G., Chen, J., Gao, H., Wei, Y., Uede, T., . . . Diao, H. (2015). Regular Exercise Enhances the Immune Response Against Microbial Antigens Through Up-Regulation of Toll-like Receptor Signaling Pathways. Cell Physiol Biochem, 37(2), 735-746. doi: 10.1159/000430391