Researchers have found that a 90 minute bout of mild- to moderate-intensity exercise directly after a receiving a flu or COVID vaccine may provide an extra immune boost.
In the paper, published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, participants who cycled on a stationary bike or took a brisk walk for an hour-and-a-half after receiving a vaccine injection produced more antibodies in the following four weeks compared to participants who sat or continued with their daily routine post-immunisation. When the researchers ran the experiment with mice and treadmills, similar results were observed.
“Our preliminary results are the first to demonstrate a specific amount of time can enhance the body’s antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID vaccine and two vaccines for influenza,” said Kinesiology Professor Marian Kohut, lead author of the study.
The vaccine recipients would be able to benefit people who could not cope with such exercise. Nearly half of the participants in the experiment had a BMI in the overweight or obese category. During 90 minutes of exercise, they focused on maintaining a pace that kept their heart rate around 120–140 beats per minute rather than distance.
However, the exercise duration appeared to be important: the researchers also ran the experiment with just 45-minutes of exercising. The shorter workout did not increase the participants’ antibody levels. Prof Kohut said a follow-up study might test whether 60 minutes is sufficient.
As to why prolonged, mild- to moderate-intensity exercise could improve the body’s immune response, Prof Kohut said there may be multiple reasons. Exercise increases blood and lymph flow, which helps circulate immune cells. As these cells move around the body, they’re more likely to detect antigens. The mouse experiment data also suggested that interferon alpha produced during exercise helps generate virus-specific antibodies and T- cells.
“A lot more research is needed to answer the why and how,” said Prof Kohut. “There are so many changes that take place when we exercise – metabolic, biochemical, neuroendocrine, circulatory. So, there’s probably a combination of factors that contribute to the antibody response we found in our study.”
The researchers are continuing to track the antibody response in the participants six months post-immunisation and have launched another study that focuses on exercise’s effects on people who receive booster shots.
Source: Iowa State University
