◆ Regular Moderate Exercise Boosts Immunity ◆

 1. Regular Moderate Exercise Boosts Immunity.

-consistent, Regular, Moderate exercise can lead to substantial benefits in immune system health over the long-term.

 

The average adult has two to three upper respiratory infections each year.

We are exposed to bacteria all day long, but some people seem more susceptible to catching the bug.

The following factors have all been associated with impaired immune function and increased risk of catching colds.

old age
cigarette smoking
stress
poor nutrition
fatigue and lack of sleep
overtraining

 

However, there are also some things that seem to protect us from picking up colds.

One of those things seems to be moderate, consistent exercise.

More and more research is finding a link between moderate, regular exercise and a strong immune system.

Moderate exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response and a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria. It is believed that regular, consistent exercise can lead to substantial benefits in immune system health over the long-term.

Early studies reported that recreational exercisers reported fewer colds once they began running.

More recent studies have shown that there are physiological changes in the immune system response to exercise.

During moderate exercise immune cells circulate through the body more quickly, and are better able to kill bacteria and viruses. 

After the exercise ends, the immune system returns to normal within a few hours.
However, consistent, regular exercise seems to make these changes a bit more long-lasting.

According to professor David Nieman of Appalachian State University, when moderate exercise is repeated on a near-daily basis there is a cumulative effect that leads to a long-term immune response.
 His research showed that those who walk at 70-75 % of their maximum heart rate( VO2 Max) for 40 minutes per day had half as many sick days due to colds or sore throats as those who don't exercise.

 

 

 

2. Too Much Exercise May Decrease Immunity.

- Intense exercise seems to cause a temporary decrease in immune system function.

 

Research has found that during intense physical exertion, the body produces certain hormones that temporarily lower immunity. Cortisol¹ and adrenaline, known as the stress hormones, raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels and suppress the immune system.

This effect has been linked to the increased susceptibility to infection in endurance athletes after extreme exercise (such as marathon running or Ironman-distance triathlon training).

If you are training for ultra-endurance events, a key component of your training should be including enough rest and recovery days to allow your body (immune system) to recover.

If you are feeling run-down or have other symptoms of overtraining syndrome --such as increased resting heart rate, slower recovery heart rate, irritability or general heaviness and fatigue -- you may need to tone down your workouts as well.

If you are already ill, you should be careful about exercising too intensely. Your immune system is already taxed by fighting your infection, and additional stress could undermine your recovery.

In general, if you have mild cold symptoms and no fever, light or moderate exercise may help you feel a bit better and actually boost your immune system.

Intense exercise will only make things worse and likely extend your illness.

 

 

 

3. Psychological Stress Also Reduces Immunity.

It's not  only physical stress that increases the release of cortisol and adrenaline.

Psychological stress can also impair immunity and lead to an increase of cold and flu infections.

Researchers at Ohio State followed people who had the stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease and found that they experienced twice as many colds as non-caregivers.

For such individuals, there is clearly a physical benefit to moderate, regular exercise.

 

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuryprevention/a/aa011502a.htm

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4. Testosterone may impede immunity.

Decreasing testosterone boosts immunity because testosterone helps control억제T-lymphocytes, the attack cells of the immune system, according to Mayo Clinic-led research in laboratory animals. The findings appear in the current edition of the Journal of Immunology. ...

T-lymphocytes are cells that are vital to controlling the body's immune response.

"T cells," as they are usually called by scientists, are white blood cells that can fight against tumor cells and infection. Alternatively, T cells can help other immune cells known as "B cells" make antibodies to defend the body against certain bacterial and fungal infections, and possibly against cancer. ...

 

When testosterone is removed, the immune cells come back strong and aggressive, ready to attack. Says [Eugene Kwon, M.D., the Mayo Clinic urologist and immunology researcher], "They become twitchy, very reactive, and in this state they can, in fact, mediate a strong immune response -- which, as physicians, is just what we want."

 

 

 

1. 'Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone produced by the Zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex (in the adrenal gland). It is a vital hormone that is often referred to as the \ [본문으로]