Protect against flu and corona with sport: anti-inflammatory effect is partly responsible, according to sports physicians

Created: 12/19/2022, 8:30 p.m

By: Juliane Gutmann

Flu, colds and the RS virus are all around.

Sport helps the immune system to defend itself against pathogens.

Scientists explain how.

There are many factors that positively influence our immune system.

This includes a balanced diet, stress reduction and alcohol in moderation.

Exercise also helps the body's defenses to better protect itself against pathogens.

The anti-inflammatory effect of sport is said to play an important role in this.

A team led by sports physician Professor Wilhelm Bloch from the Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Sports Medicine at the German Sport University in Cologne has investigated the influence of sport on susceptibility to infection.

Their analyzes showed that the immune system was activated by the training.

For example, the researchers prepared former tumor patients for a half-marathon for their study.

The activity status of the natural killer cells was recorded before and after the training or the half marathon.

"We were able to observe that the natural killer cells had a higher defense function after training for the half marathon and that surface antigens that are responsible for recognizing foreign cells are increasingly presented," Bloch is quoted as saying by the German Journal of Sports Medicine.

Exercise strengthens our defenses by reducing inflammation.

© Josep Suria/Imago

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Exercise can inhibit chronic inflammation in the body

The researchers also explain the immune-boosting effect by the fact that sport is a training phase for the immune system.

With this training, the body's own defenses can be optimized to meet the demands that the body makes, so the assumption.

The researchers at the German Sport University in Cologne were also able to show anti-inflammatory effects of sport.

From their investigations, Bloch and his team deduce, among other things, that sport can suppress chronic inflammatory stimuli, which are partly responsible for the development of cancer and diabetes.

Strengthen the immune system and thus prevent flu and corona - eight simple rules

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Sports scientist: Regular exercise strengthens the immune system

Professor Karsten Krüger, Head of the Department of Performance Physiology and Sports Therapy at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, also sees the anti-inflammatory effect of sports as an important pillar for strengthening one's own defences.

“Many bacteria and viruses are constantly around us.

Whether we get sick or not then depends on the functionality of our immune system.

Good quality sleep, a balanced diet, regular exercise and good stress management are important lifestyle factors that affect our immune function.

If you keep to these rules to some extent, you get sick less often and survive an illness better,” explains the sports scientist in an interview with the health insurance company BKK Provita.