Flu-proof Your Winter
Winter sessions boost the immune system
Go for a nice, long run in the cold
TRAINING HARD in winter won’t weaken the immune system, according to a new study that challenges received wisdom. The researchers found endurance exercise actually increases the number of infection-fighting T-cells in the blood. In earlier studies, scientists noted a decline in these cells in the hours after a workout and assumed they were being destroyed, leaving the body more susceptible to illness. The new study has found they are simply being moved to areas more prone to infection, such as the lungs. Study author Dr John Campbell said, ‘It is increasingly clear that changes happening to your immune system after a strenuous bout of exercise do not leave your body immunesuppressed. In fact, evidence now suggests that your immune system is boosted after exercise.’