Just got a COVID-19 shot? Do this right after to enhance your body’s antibody And Immune
Go for a brisk walk to further enhance your immunity against the novel coronavirus. A study by researchers from the Iowa State University has suggested that 90 minutes of mild- to moderate-intensity exercise directly after a flu or COVID-19 vaccine may provide an extra immune boost.
They found that participants who cycled on a stationary bike or took a brisk walk for an hour-and-a-half after getting their COVID-19 vaccine produced more antibodies in the following four weeks compared to those who sat or continued with their daily routine post-immunization. Similar results were seen in experiments with mice and treadmills, the researchers reported in their paper published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Just got a COVID-19 shot? – Exercise can boost COVID-19 vaccine efficiency
For the study, the researchers used Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine and two vaccines for influenza.
Kinesiology Professor Marian Kohut, the study’s lead author, said that their study is the first to demonstrate that a specific amount of time can enhance the body’s antibody response to these vaccines.
During 90 minutes of exercise post-immunization, the participants who cycled on a stationary bike or took a brisk walk focused on maintaining a pace that kept their heart rate around 120-140 beats per minute rather than distance. Nearly half of them had a BMI in the overweight or obese category.
However, shorter workout did not increase the participants’ antibody levels. With just 45-minutes of exercising after getting a flu shot or COVID-19 jab, the participants could get the same bump in antibodies, as it was found in 90 minutes of exercise.
In a follow-up study, the research team is planning to test whether 60 minutes is enough to improve the body’s antibody response to a vaccine.
How does exercise improve our body’s response to vaccine?
According to Kohut, there may be multiple reasons. One reason could be that exercise helps increase blood and lymph flow, which in turn helps circulate immune cells around the body and thus increases their chances of detecting something that’s foreign, the Professor explained.
Further, during experiments in mice, the researchers found that a type of protein (i.e., interferon alpha) generated during exercise helps generate virus-specific antibodies and T- cells.
“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,” said Kohut, as quoted by Science Daily.
However, he underscored the need for further research to answer the why and how.
While the researchers are still tracking the antibody response in the participants six months post-immunization, they have also launched another study that focuses on exercise’s effects on people who receive booster shots.
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