Although there is still not enough scientific evidence in this regard, the recommendation has been generalized that those who receive the COVID-19 vaccine do not do physical exercise that same day, for fear of adverse reactions. However, a recent study from Iowa State University (USA) has discovered that physical activity after injection can help increase the levels of antibodies generated.
The research is even more specific and indicates that 90 minutes of exercise of light or moderate intensity are necessary to be able to reinforce the defenses through more production of antibodies. The tests were conducted on 26 people who received the flu vaccine and 38 who received the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, all of whom either exercised a stationary bike or walked briskly for a period of one and a half hours after receiving the vaccine. injection.
The results, reported in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, showed that those who did these types of exercise right after receiving the COVID-19 and flu shots produced more antibodies in the four weeks. following, compared to those who were seated or continued with their routine.
“Our preliminary results are the first to show that a specific amount of exercise time can enhance the body’s antibody response to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and two influenza vaccines,” said Marian Kohut, lead author of the investigation.
Exercise increases blood and lymph flow
Of all the participants, nearly half had a body mass index (BMI) corresponding to overweight or obesity. The authors found that their findings could help people with different fitness levels. During the 90 minutes of exercise, a heart rate between 120 and 140 beats per minute should be maintained.
The authors found improvements in antibody levels with 90 minutes of physical exercise after vaccination, but not with 45 minutes
They also tried to find out if vaccinated people could experience the rise in antibodies with just half the time, ie 45 minutes of activity. However, they observed that the training of that time did not provide improvements in the antibodies of the immunized individuals.
And it is that, antibodies are very important in the body’s defense, they are the first barrier that seeks and destroys viruses, fungi, bacteria and parasites. Vaccines are what help the immune system and give it the necessary experience to identify pathogens and respond effectively against them. But why exercise can improve these levels?
The answer given by the authors is that physical exercise increases blood and lymphatic flow, which encourages the immune cells to circulate, and as they do so, they are more likely to detect any abnormality in the body. Tests were also carried out on mice in which similar results were obtained, in addition to indicating that interferon alpha – a type of protein – generated during exercise helped to produce antibodies and specific T cells against the virus.
“But much more research is needed to answer why and how. There are so many changes that take place when we exercise: metabolic, biochemical, neuroendocrine, circulatory. So there is probably a combination of factors contributing to the antibody response that we found in our study.”
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