How Cold Season Running Affects Our Immune System

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In the cold season, it is much more difficult to force yourself to go jogging than on a warm summer or fresh spring day. The cold air burns the lungs and throat unpleasantly, and often such runs end with a cold. On the one hand, exercise in cold air can lead to a weakening of the immune system, but, on the other hand, it is training in cold weather that can lead to the opposite results - strengthening the immune system and hardening the body. It just depends on the intensity and dosage!

According to research conducted by the online journal PLoS ONE, which publishes various scientific studies, training in the cold weakens the immune system, however, with the correct moderation of the load, the body, on the contrary, turns on and resists various viruses better.

Experts have found that when exercised in "thermoneutral" conditions (22 degrees above zero Celsius), the body responds strongly to a wide range of tests that assess immune and endocrine function. However, during training at zero temperature, this response was suppressed.

The experiment involved 9 men. They ran on treadmills at two different temperatures, but dressed the same: running shorts and t-shirts.

The researchers took blood samples to measure immunological and endocrine responses while walking (intensity - 50% of VO2 max) and while running (intensity - 70% of VO2 max, for many runners considered the standard intensity for a recovery run). In order for the participants to have a slight shiver from the cold, they were placed in a cool chamber for 40 minutes, 2 hours before the start of the workout.

VO2 max or maximum oxygen consumption is the highest amount of oxygen, expressed in milliliters, that a person can consume within 1 minute. For a healthy person who is not involved in sports, the IPC is 3200 - 3500 ml / min, in trained individuals, the IPC reaches 6000 ml / min.

Sportwiki

Scientists believe that the increased norepinephrine response that was triggered by pre-cooling is likely to be responsible for the boost in the immune system that was observed during the test. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter responsible for the fight-or-flight response in our body. It is he who helps our body prepare for an attack. At the same time, it was emphasized that only the effect of low-intensity yeast was studied (that is, when you are just cool and goose bumps appear), since more cooling can lead to completely different consequences.

Norepinephrine, norepinephrine, L-1- (3, 4-Dioxyphenyl) -2-aminoethanol - adrenal medulla hormone and neurotransmitter. Refers to biogenic amines, to the group of catecholamines. It is the precursor to adrenaline. It is considered one of the most important "wakefulness mediators". Noradrenergic projections are involved in the ascending reticular activating system.

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The study's lead author, Dr. Dominique Gagnon, noted that training during the cold season leads to more intense fat burning. This means that under these conditions, it is easier for your muscles to store glycogen stores, which run out much faster than they would like during long runs. That is, during training in cold weather, the body has the opportunity to reduce sugar consumption, but at the same time increase the consumption of fat reserves. And since sugar stores will be used up more slowly, this will help prevent early fatigue.

In an ideal world, while running, we would have to consume only body fat and at the same time quietly run for a week with little or no rest

Another study published in 2007 looked at the body's response to colds viruses. The observations were carried out over three groups of people: elite athletes, athletes with moderate exertion, and ordinary people who practically did not play sports. As soon as those observed had the first symptoms of a cold (stuffy nose, sore throat), scientists immediately took samples to study the state of their body.

As a result, it was found that the viruses spread fastest among elite athletes and those who did not lead an active lifestyle. Runners with moderate training load felt the best.

There are a lot of similar studies and they all show that intense sports load and its complete absence lead to almost identical results - weakening of the immune system.

In order not to get sick and achieve the set results, it is recommended:

• Avoid overly intense exercise.
• Observe the sleep regimen before training and mandatory rest between them and after the competition.
• Eat properly.

So, we try to avoid excessive exertion, do not overcool (which means we dress correctly), eat right and do not forget about rest. And then running in cold weather will not only turn on your immune system at full capacity, but also help you get rid of extra pounds much faster and easier than during summer jogging;)