Coaches will often urge athletes to exercise when they have

Coaches will often urge athletes to exercise when they have a cold or other infection. What is the immunological reasoning behind this sage advice?

Solution

Exercise improves the immune systems functioning and helps to fight infections because,

1). The blood circulation increases during exercise, so that the immune cells can better circulate to kill bacteria and viruses.

2). Exercise stimulates the production of macrophages and the other white blood cells, which can readily attack invading pathogens

3). Aerobic exercise reduces the production of stress hormones that suppress immune response, however, severe exercise can increase stress, which produces negative effects.

4). Also, the metabolic functioning of the body increases with exercise, which also stimulates the detoxification system.