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Bad news for any extreme exercise junkies out there: excessive vigorous exercise could muffle your immune system. At least, that’s what a 2023 study analyzing over 4,700 post-exercise fluid molecules from firefighters suggests.
This may be problematic for workers with consistently physically demanding jobs that require intense fitness training, such as emergency workers and athletes.
“People who are very fit might be more prone to viral respiratory infection immediately after vigorous exercise,” said Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) biomedical scientist Ernesto Nakayasu. “Having less inflammatory activity to fight off an infection could be one cause.”
While there is strong evidence to suggest that moderate physical activity among healthy individuals can favor the immune system in the long run, what happens to the immune system directly following vigorous exercise is controversial.
There is little reliable evidence that supports the claim that intense exercise heightens the risk of opportunistic infections, although a few previous studies have noted self-reported upper tract respiratory infections in athletes, compared to control groups, after strenuous activities. Whether these are correlations or causations is unknown.
