As we move
towards fall, we start to see ads for flu vaccinations and the prospect of
cold wet days with stuffy noses come to mind. So now is the time to boost our
immune systems and get our white cells all ready to tackle those invaders.
Eating right goes without saying, of course, but
what about exercise? The answer is don’t do anything rash. Syu et al have reported on a study into the
effects of exercise on the fate of our white cells and, hence, our immune
system (1).
They took 13 couch potatoes aged between 20 and 24
years old and split them into an exercise group and a control group. Each gave
blood samples that were checked for white cell recycling and their ability to
produce reactive oxygen species that attack invaders.
The control group had some extreme workouts every
couple of months but otherwise enjoyed their couch occupancy. The extreme
workout took them to exhaustion, so wasn’t too much fun. The other group had a
regular, softer exercise program.
The results
showed that the once in a while extreme workouts was bad in that they raised the recycling rate of the white cells which subsequently left the subjects immune system
weaker over the next few weeks. On the other hand, the regular, softer exercise
program enhanced the white cell activity and boosted the immune system with
good levels of reactive oxygen species available to tackle those nasty viruses.
The message is don’t wait for your new year
resolution to start, start a steady exercise program now when it is still pleasant outside and be well.
