Intense Or Prolonged Exercise May Leave Immune System Temporarily Weakened, Review Suggests.

reports on a review published in the Journal of Applied Physiology finding that “some types of workouts may hinder the immune response...while others bolster it,” and “a few simple precautions, including consuming carbohydrates during exhausting workouts, might help to keep our immune systems robust.” Review author Jonathan M. Peake, a lecturer in sports science at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, explained that during exercise the immune system is stimulated, but that after exercise the resultant decline often leaves people with “fewer natural killer cells in their blood” than before. Co-author Oliver Neubauer, a senior research fellow at Queensland, said, “Ingesting carbohydrates during vigorous exercise may help” by stabilizing blood sugar levels and so reducing “the body’s stress response.” This would only be necessary for “high-intensity or prolonged exercise that lasts for 90 minutes or more.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/well/move/carbs-during-workouts-may-fend-off-colds.html