Heavy physical activity immediately worsens a person’s immunity, increasing the risk of contracting respiratory viruses. A study by scientists from the US Pacific Northwest State Laboratory was published in the journal Military Medical Research.
The experiment involved 11 firefighters wearing heavy fire-resistant clothing during a 45-minute training exercise. Immediately afterwards, they gave blood, urine and saliva samples. Scientists analyzed more than 4,700 molecules: proteins, lipids and metabolic products. The levels of hundreds of molecules involved in tissue repair, preventing dehydration, and meeting the tissue’s energy, protein, and oxygen needs changed.
After testing saliva, scientists got the most unexpected results. The change in the microbial composition of the oral cavity indicated that the body began to intensively fight bacteria. On the contrary, the number of molecules important for the inflammatory response and fighting viral infections decreased. Reducing inflammation allows people to breathe more frequently, meeting the body’s urgent need for more oxygen, but also makes the body more vulnerable to respiratory viral infections. Scientists noted that the discovery confirms the observations of doctors working with professional athletes: they often get sick during periods of active training. In addition, previous studies have shown that in the first days after an intense workout, the risk of acute respiratory viral infection doubles, even in people in good physical condition.
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