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August 8, 2022

How does Exercise affect my Immune System?

How does exercise affect my immune system?

Your immune system is key to fighting threats to your body. It helps deal with, prevent and recover from viruses, cuts, stings, bites, bacterial infections, chemicals, pollution, illness and stress.

There are two types of immune barriers and systems in your body: 

    1. Innate: Physical Barriers such as your skin, mucous membranes, respiratory, digestive tracts and genitourinary tracts. In other words, your body’s openings and how they are structured to prevent infection entering your body.   
    2. Acquired: an adaptive immunity system in your body that recognises and remembers infections, viruses and pathogens. Certain cells in your body such as T-Cells and B-Cells are designed to recognise and generate stronger prevention measures and attacks on infections each time a repeating threat is encountered.

Vaccination is a process to help your body with that recognition and development of antibodies process. The recent COVID pandemic and need to vaccinate is an example of use of the Acquired Immunity system.

Immune system implications for Moderate or High Intensity Exercise and long Endurance sessions

 

With your immune system, an, “open window”, is the time of increased susceptibility to infection and follows an initial period (first hour) where the immune system is stimulated during and shortly after exercise..

What happens when you exercise?

Exercise will increase your immune system capability during and shortly after your exercise.

Then for the next 3 to 4 hours following exercise, your immunity enters a suppression phase. This is where your body is more susceptible to infection and it is the optimal time to implement recovery strategies including Nutrition, Rest and Stretching or Light Exercise. Rest can be simply and ideally a 5 to 10 minute lie down, or relaxing in a chair.

Your body needs its usual proteins, fats and carbohydrates but also specifically foods rich in antioxidants. Foods rich in antioxidants include prunes, sultanas, berries, spinach, broccoli, oranges, eggs and beets.

Low impact activities such as stretching or walking during this time are also beneficial to restoring your full immunity as this can help remove exercise by-products and stimulate your immune system again.