Regular Exercise could protect you from severe illnesses

 Regular Exercise could protect you from severe illnesses

For decades, scientists have observed that people who are fit and physically active seem to have lower rates of several respiratory tract infections. even when people who work out d\do get sick, they tend to have sell severe disease.

Recent research suggests this effect extends even to Covid-19. One analysis, published in August in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at people who stayed physically active during the pandemic.

People who worked out regulars during the lock down had a 36percent lower risk of hospitalization and 43 percent lower risk of dying from Covid-19 as compared to those who were not active. They also had lower likelihood of getting infected in the first place.

What the research says that the way exercise boosts immunity is by increasing the circulation of immune cells in your blood. Researchers have found that the contraction and movement of muscles release cytokines which help direct immune cells to find and fight off infection.

Levels of cytokines and immune cells tape off two or three hours after you stop exercising but your immune system becomes more responsive and is able to catch pathogens faster over time if you work out every day. Your immune system is primed, and its is in better fighting shape to cope with a vial load at any given time. Said David Naieman, a professor of health and exercise science at Appalachian State University, US

What the research doesn't says that , But more research is needed to prove casual link between exercising and immunity.

The problem is that exercise cannot be measured on a linear scale since people exercise in different ways. Moreover, study participants often self-report the amount and intensity of their workouts, which can often be inaccuracies. it is also likely that people who work out regularly share other attributes that can help them fight infections, such as a varied diet, better access to medical care, or they may be tracking their health more closely.

There is also a huge debate about whether too much exercise makes you mare susceptible to infection and illness. FOR INSTANCE, MARATHON RUNNERS OFTEN GET SICK AFTER THEIR RACES, WHILE TOO MUCH VIGOROUS EXCERCISE CAN OVERSTIMULATE CYTOKINES.

Exercising with out break a break also depletes the body's glycogen stores, which for some people could lead to impaired immune function for a few hours or even days.

Still, for the average exerciser, early evidence suggests there may be a protective effect against severe illness.

Courtesy: Times of India