Exercise & The Immune System

We are constantly being bombarded with ways to improve out immune systems. Take this vitamin, eat more garlic, drink more water...  

This is another one of those moments. Have you ever thought about exercise as a means of improving your immunity? I don’t mean this in the sense that you should go to the gym and expose yourself to every germ available. Especially not now!  

 Let’s define the immune system. This system protects the human body from pathogens (viruses, bacteria and parasites) (Jones & Davison, 2019). It encompasses the ability of the body to maintain homeostasis even when exposed to foreign molecules (Jones & Davison, 2019).

Keep reading for a more in-depth explanation why exercise can increase immunity.  

There is a fine line between the intensity of exercise that can have positive and negative effects on your immune system. Athletes tend to have higher incidences of minor infections than the moderate exercisers, this may be due to the chronic acute stress to the immune system (Jones & Davison, 2019). This all to say, take care of your body no matter how much you exercise or not!  

Back to the topic at hand of moderate exercise improving your immune system. Observational and experimental studies have investigated the supposed greater efficiency at battling off pathogens with a moderately active lifestyle.  

Early exercise studies of older humans' adults exercising moderately over a period of 12-15 weeks have found a lower incidence or duration of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections than their sedentary counter parts (Nieman et al., 1990, 1993, 1998). This means that by walking for 30 minutes a day at a 60-7% of their maximal oxygen uptake, the individuals who are moderately active are sick less often and for less long!  What is more amazing is that this data holds true when looking at them in a longitudinal study. 

In all, moderate intensity exercise is definitely the way to go if you are trying to boost your immune system with strenuous exercise having an immunodepressive relationship. For more information on these studies click the links below!  

Jones, A. W., & Davison, G. (2019). Exercise, Immunity, and Illness. Muscle and Exerci-se Physiology, 317- 344. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-814593-7.00015-3 

Nieman, D., Nehlsen-Cannarella, S., Markoff, P., Balk-Lamberton, A., Yang, H., Chritton, D., . . . Arabatzis, K. (1990). The Effects of Moderate Exercise Training on Natural Killer Cells and Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 11(06), 467-473. doi:10.1055/s-2007-1024839