Want to Avoid a Cold This Season? Go for a Run (or a bike or a swim)

Did you know? Regular cardiovascular exercise can decrease our risk of developing upper respiratory infections? (Upper respiratory infections include the common cold, sinusitis, and tonsillitis.)

Yes, as we know and as the research shows, exercise is medicine.

Studies have shown that frequent bouts of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise actually decrease an individual’s risk of catching a cold. Yay for fitting in a brief run, bike, swim, or speed walk regularly!

However, once we start increasing the intensity & frequency of our training (eg, multiple exercise bouts a day, workouts lasting more than 90-120 minutes, really intense bouts), that protective effect is quickly lost & we become more likely to develop an upper respiratory infection than if we had not been exercising at all.

No, no, this post was not meant to discourage anyone from exercising AND no excuses are allowed here. 🙂

BUT, what it does emphasize is the importance of allowing our bodies to recover between prolonged and intense exercise sessions AND the awesome effect that just a little daily cardio can have on our bodies’ abilities to fend off viruses and bacterial invaders.

AND who doesn’t love a little extra protection from getting sick this time of year? No one likes a Mr or Ms Sniffles! 🙂

Exercise on, my friends!

Copyright (c) 2018 LiVe Nutrition. All rights reserved.

Sources:

Gleeson M. Effects of exercise on immune function and risk of infection. http://www.mysportscience.com 26 Sept 2016.

Gleeson M, Bishop NC, and Walsh NP. Exercise Immunology. Long: Routledge (Taylor and Francis). ISBN: 978-0-415-50725-7.

Nieman DC, Henson DA, Austin MD, et al. Upper respiratory tract infection is reduced in physically fit and active adults. Brit J Sports Med. 2011; 45: 987-992.

📸 cred: Asker Jeukendrup, PhD; Professor of Exercise Metabolism; performance consultant in elite sport; Twitter: @jeukendrup; http://www.mysportscience.com