Exercises Effect On Vaccines

“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity .” - John F. Kennedy

Introduction:

Working out strenuously has many benefits, and scientists have just discovered yet another.

Vaccines, it turns out, are more effective in fit people who regularly participate in high intensity training like we do at Peak Zone Fitness.

Researchers at Saarland University in Germany studied the impact of a flu vaccine on elite athletes and on control subjects.

They discovered that the athletes generated almost twice as many virus-fighting T-cells after vaccination as the control subjects.

The gain in neutralizing antibodies was also stronger in the athletes.

These findings were published in January, 2020 in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, the official journal of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society.

The volunteers ranged from marathon runners to badminton players and power hammer throwers. They were tested during their competitive seasons at intervals of one, two and 26 weeks after vaccination.

Before the study, the scientists weren’t sure whether intense physical training would impede the immune response or accelerate it.

It’s flu-shot season, and a vaccine for COVID-19 will hopefully be on tap soon. Keep up your workouts to ensure you get the most benefit from your vaccines and stay healthy.

With that said, here are 5 reasons why vaccine is important! 👊

1. Vaccine-preventable diseases have not gone away

 The viruses and bacteria that cause illness and death still exist and can be passed on to those who are not protected by vaccines. While many diseases are no longer common in the US, global travel makes it easy for diseases to spread.

2. Vaccines will help keep you healthy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccinations throughout life to protect against many infections. When you skip vaccines, you leave yourself vulnerable to illnesses such as shingles, pneumococcal disease, flu, and HPV and hepatitis B—both leading causes of cancer.

3. Vaccines are as important to your overall health as diet and exercise

Like eating healthy foods, exercising, and getting regular check-ups, vaccines play a vital role in keeping you healthy. Vaccines are one of the safest preventive care measures available.

4. Vaccination can mean the difference between life and death

Vaccine-preventable infections can be deadly. Every year in the US, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 50,000 adults died from vaccine-preventable diseases.

5. Vaccines are safe

The US has a robust approval process to ensure that all licensed vaccines are safe. Potential side effects associated with vaccines are uncommon and much less severe than the diseases they prevent.