6 principles to follow to build an immune system boosting routine

6 principles to follow to build an immune system boosting routine

People are more interested than ever in applying the practical advice that comes from scientific research to the impact of the immune system on their lives.

If you…

Choose foods with antioxidants. Try to get plenty of sleep. Eat lots of whole foods. Try eating a plant-based diet. Prioritize mental health as a pillar of overall health. Take “immune-boosting” supplements…

... Then you have applied the conclusions of immune research to your life.

But what about exercise? Can exercise be part of your strategy to stay healthy and ward off illness?

The answer is not as simple as you might think.

Although regular exercise is necessary for overall health, the question of the short- and long-term effects of exercise on the immune system has been the subject of scientific research for decades.

The answers to the above questions vary depending on factors such as training intensity, fatigue and physical fitness.

In this article, you'll not only learn how exercise affects the immune system, but you'll also learn some of the research-based principles you need to follow to ensure your exercise routine is part of your immune system strategies.

Refresher: What makes up the immune system?

The immune system is responsible for keeping us healthy by protecting our bodies from bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins.

The immune system is a comprehensive system involving cells and organs that are important parts of other systems. It also requires nutrients and components stored in other organs for healthy function. Ultimately, the immune system is the epitome of how our entire body is connected and how an imbalance in a particular system can impact the entire body.

Any action on the body can trigger an immune system response when cells are stressed or damaged or when external bodies are introduced into your body.

Some of these external actions that can cause the immune system to respond include:

The environment, if there are allergens such as pollen, mites and dander; Toxins such as heavy metals or chemical residues; or other stress factors in the environment. Exposure to pathogens that can be found in the air we breathe, the food we eat and that are transmitted to you directly or indirectly by other people. In addition to the exercises discussed below, other lifestyle habits are also available, including sleep, diet and smoking. While a balanced diet rich in healthy fats, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables is important for immune system health, other actions such as smoking are harmful to your health. There is ample evidence of how Smoking and passive smoking negatively impacts your immune system response as well as high levels of diet ultra-processed foods can trigger an inflammatory reaction and is associated with disease.

The way to measure immune system health is to look at the cells that fight off infection and inflammation.

Cells of the immune systeminclude:

White blood cells (leukocytes), which refer to a category of cells that identify and eliminate pathogens (potentially harmful invaders). These include phagocytes, mast cells, eosinophils, basophils and natural killer (NK) cells. Phagocytes, which include neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells, move through the body in search of invading pathogens and produce chemicals that activate different responses. Neutrophils migrate in the bloodstream and macrophages are found in tissues. Dendritic cells are phagocytes on the skin that connect body tissues to the immune system. Mast cells, which are found in connective tissue and mucous membranes and regulate inflammation. The Degranulation of mast cells is responsible for allergic reactions that occur when the immune system overreacts to non-pathogenic substances. Basophils and eosinophils, which secrete chemical mediators that protect the body against parasites and play a role in the allergic reaction. Lymphocytes, which include B and T cells produced by specialized cells in the bone marrow. The T cells recognize processed pathogens and include the killer T cells, which kill dysfunctional or virus-infected cells, and helper T cells, which help determine how the body should respond to a particular pathogen. The B cells represent the body's antibodies or the body's acquired defense system. These include antigen-specific receptors that recognize certain pathogens without having to process them. There are different B cells for different pathogens.

The above cells need to be manufactured and stored somewhere. Some of the Organsinvolved in the immune system:

Adenoids, which are located at the back of the nasal passage Bone marrow, which produces immune cells Lymph nodes, which also produce immune cells and are located throughout the body Lymphatic vessels, which carry lymphocytes through Peyer's patches in the bloodstream Lymph nodes in the small intestinal spleen, an organ in the abdomen that contains white blood cells and components that regulate fluid balance in the body support financially. Thymus, a specialized lymphoid in which lymphocytes (T cells) have matured. Tonsils, which are the masses you can see on either side of the beginning of the throat, produce white blood cells and antibodies

Since every part of the body ultimately needs to be protected from outside invaders, there is no part of the body whose health does not depend on the function of our immune system.

Example: food allergies and immune response

Let's take a closer look at an example to get a clearer idea of ​​how the immune system responds to a threat.

Food allergies are very common and a good example of the immune response.

Some people have an overactive immune system that reacts to certain components in food as if they were pathogens. Depending on the type of food allergy, different mechanisms of action can be activated.

One of the most serious types of food allergies is that mediated by the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE). If a person has high IgE levels, it may indicate a food allergy.

Activation of the immune system against an allergen can be divided into two phases:Sensitization and then the allergic reaction. The process is broken down as follows:

Chemicals from an allergen such as peanuts are detected by a dendritic cell, a type of phagocyte. This activates the response of an allergen-specific T cell. The allergen-specific T cell recognizes the chemical as an allergen and then communicates with the helper T cell, which determines how the body should respond to the pathogen. The helper T cell sends interleukins produced by mast cells to B cells. The B cells activate allergen-specific IgE, which then binds to mast cells. The IgE on mast cells binds to the allergenic chemical in a food and triggers the production of histamines, leukotrienes, cytokines, prostaglandins and PAF. All of these chemicals cause an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction can manifest itself as local symptoms such as swelling, itching, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, as well as systemic symptoms such as airway obstruction, hives, hypotension and arrhythmia.

The example above describes only one pathway of the immune system. The immune system responds to several other triggers that are not allergens, such as:Diet,Sleep, environmental toxins and, yes, exercise.

How the immune system reacts to exercise

But how about exercise? Hundreds of researchers dedicate their professional lives to answering questions about the effects of exercise on the immune system in a field called sports immunology.

Here are some of the key research findings linking exercise to immune system response:

Exercise can either stimulate or reduce a Stress reaction. Stress responses have inflammatory effects and stimulate the production and release of immune cells. Stress is modulated by various hormones and proteins, including cortisol, leading to a Inflammatory reaction This shows that the body feels threatened. Whether it stimulates or reduces the stress response depends on the type, intensity, duration and chronicity (how often) of the exercise. Practice affects our natural immunity that we were born with. It influences T-cell and B-cell functions and cytokine responses through changes in blood flow and secretion of stress hormones. How exercise affects natural immunity also depends on the intensity, duration and chronicity of the exercise. Complete exercise increases the production of free radicals, which can be a sign of muscle cell damage. The level of oxidative stress on the body depends on the level of fatigue of the person performing the exercise. Moderate exercise has one Protective effect on the immune system, while repeated bouts of strenuous exercise can lead to immune deficiency. Remember that what feels strenuous to an athlete is very different than what feels strenuous to a sedentary person. In relation to acute illnesses such as flu and bacterial infections, moderate exercise can help strengthen the immune system fight disease. Researchers don't know exactly how exercise can increase immunity. They propose several theories, including an increase in air circulation in and out of the lungs, which may help flush out bacteria, and an increased willingness to scavenge pathogens due to the acute inflammatory responses, or a reduction in circulating stress hormones.

What does this research tell us?

Exercise has a variable effect on the immune system.

The response to exercise varies greatly depending on factors related to your personal health status and factors specifically related to the exercise you are doing. We mention some of the following factors.

Individual factors that influence how exercise affects the immune system

The research summarized above makes it clear that exercise affects the immune system, but how it affects the immune system or whether it helps you fight off illness and disease depends several individual factors, see below.

Exercise characteristics that may affect immunity

There are thousands of exercise variations in terms of activity, intensity, duration and many other factors.

Research has shown that the effects of exercise on the immune system depend on a combination of all of these factors along with the individual factors mentioned above.

Some of the Exercise characteristics Effects on your immune system response include:

Intensity Duration Fatigue Levels Mode Types

For people new to exercise, it can be difficult to find the right balance between intensity and duration of exercise and the right type of exercise to suit their needs.

This is where the role of the fitness trainer liesPersonal trainerbecomes essential for building an effective exercise routine.

Visual aids: Two models that describe the immune response to exercise

The research we reference above makes it clear that there is no linear effect of exercise on the immune system. In other words, more intense training does not lead to better immunity. Researchers have developed two models, the “open window” theory and the J-curve, to describe the immune response to exercise. Both models are shown as diagrams.

The following tools will help you apply the research to your own training program and explain your recommendations to your clients.

The open window theory

The “Open window The theory describes how the immune system is suppressed after intense exercise.

Source: Kakanis et al. al, 2010.

The theory is based on clinical evidence showing that during intense exercise such as HIIT, sprinting or similar types of exercise, the immune system is significantly boosted but then suppressed in the 24 hours after exercise. Immunosuppression is called an “open window” because your body is more susceptible to pathogens.

What does that mean? If a person exercises intensely and is exposed to a pathogen in the 24 hours after exercise, they are more likely to become ill.

However, the immune response is different when you exercise moderately. You'll notice on the curve above that there is no immune system...

... more about that in the next part.
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