Keep Colds at Bay with Exercise!
The common cold is one of the diseases that remain incurable; the most that we can do is to prevent it from occurring. A feature on MedPage Today shares a study conducted by David Nieman, DrPH, of Appalachian State University in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and colleagues, which suggested exercise as a way to block the common cold.
The researchers were able to observe an association between physical fitness and a reduction in upper respiratory tract infections. The study showed that those who said that they exercised at least five days a week over a 12-week period had 43 percent fewer days suffering from an upper respiratory tract infection, when compared to those who exercised only once a week, at most.
The study involved more than 1,000 adults up to the age of 85. The participants were observed for two 12-week periods in 2008; half of the participants were observed in the fall, while half were observed in the winter. The researchers used the Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey, a daily logging system, as a tool to capture the effects of the common cold.
Nieman and his fellow researchers reported: “Each aerobic exercise bout causes a transient increase in the recirculation of immunoglobulins and neutrophils and natural killer cells, two cells involved in innate immune defenses. Animal data indicate that lung macrophages play an important role in mediating the beneficial effects of moderate exercise on lowered susceptibility to infection.”
The results of the study were reported online through the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Tags: colds, colds prevention, prevent colds, stop colds
