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Feeling sick? You might work out too much

adin — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 12:20:13 +0000

You finally convinced yourselves to get off the couch and work out – you exert yourselves throughout the entire session, never giving up as the trainer observes your every move, and finally you complete the workout, breathless but proud, barely making it home due to tight muscles, and then – suddenly you're sick. Sound familiar?

This is a widespread phenomenon typically classified as a mild viral infection or flu, but in many cases, it's actually the immune system's response to strenuous physical activity, without the involvement of an external pathogen. In other words, the body produces an anti-inflammatory response to exercise. This might sound like the perfect excuse to stop working out, but the opposite is true.

"Blood tests of marathon finishers and intensive care patients would be quite identical"

"The relationship between physical activity and the immune system is complex. Generally, physical activity enhances the immune system. Active people get sick less," Prof. Dan Nemet, director of the Child Health & Sports Center at Meir Medical Center, explains. "However, physical activity, like any medication, has side effects when you don't use enough of it or when it's in the wrong dosage. Physical activity is stress to the body, cortisol and cytokines [small proteins that form the basis for communication between immune system cells] are secreted, just like the effects of illness."

According to him, the body doesn't differentiate between types of stress, and when it detects it, it responds by fighting it. Therefore, "blood tests of someone who finished a marathon and someone in intensive care would be quite identical," surprisingly. "The question is how long the stress persists – in intensive care, we see a response of inflammatory mediators in the body for a long time. A person who has run a marathon typically recovers after several days. This is why muscles ache, you feel weak, etc., so you need to be careful about appropriate rest, sleep, and proper nutrition."

A comparison of inflammatory responses: intense exercise (top) versus severe infection (bottom), showing similar immune system markers (Screenshot: Journal of Applied Physiology)

However, there is a possibility of an inflammatory response after physical exercise as a result of an infection. "On the other hand, during intense physical activity, you damage all the 'arms' of the immune system for the short term, we call it the 'open window' theory. During this period, if you're exposed to a virus, the chance of getting infected is higher. This window is quite short, but it's significant, because the chance of getting infected with simple infectious diseases like flu is greater than usual.

"The immune response after exercise is significant. For example, if we look at blood tests of a person after running, the number of white blood cells [whose job is to fight foreign bodies] increases, because the body identifies some stress and fights it. However, the more trained you are, the immune system response improves and the inflammatory response decreases."

A surprising point is that after the stress of exercise and the recovery period, we will often feel better than usual. Therefore, Prof. Nemet explains, there's careful attention at Meir Medical Center to maintain a hygienic, ventilated environment, and even to vaccinate competitive athletes because their infection chances are higher, due to the "open window" theory. The frequency and intensity of their training increase infection risks.

How to recover properly?

Dr. Nemet emphasizes that the immune system improves with gradual physical activity and an organized training program. "At the same time, it's important to ensure sufficient recovery time, good nutrition that focuses on all food groups. For the regular athlete, this should be sufficient; there's no need to overdo it with various supplements. It's important to remember that rest is no less important than the exercise itself."

Regular and gradual physical activity can be significant for strengthening the immune system, especially heading into the winter season. However, it's essential to be aware of the need for balance, meaning that too little physical activity won't help strengthen the immune system, and neither will overly intensive training that leads to overtraining or training at too high a frequency.

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Regular walking significantly reduces and prevents recurrence of low back pain, study shows

liranf — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 09:00:57 +0000

Walking for at least 30 minutes daily or three times a week can significantly reduce the risk of back pain recurrence and ease existing pain, according to a new study published by The Lancet.

Low back pain is a global health issue affecting 600-800 million people worldwide, expected to increase to 843 million by 2050. It's a leading cause of disability, with nearly 70% of sufferers experiencing recurrence within a year.

Regular walking, especially with coaching from a physiotherapist, can reduce flare-ups, improve quality of life, and decrease time off work and healthcare support needs by half.

Starting with short walks and gradually increasing to 30 minutes, five times a week, over six months is recommended for optimal benefits.

Good shoes, arch supports, varied walking paces, and activity modification may be necessary for preventing potential problems during a walking program.

In the study, information based on 701 adult participants showed that a personalized walking program resulted in fewer occurrences of activity-limiting pain and longer periods before recurrence compared to those who received no intervention.

Chronic and short-term lower back pain is often due to poor posture, prolonged sitting, longer life expectancy, and sedentary habits. In India, the prevalence is higher than global rates.

Walking strengthens spinal structures, muscles, and engages core, back, and leg muscles to stabilize the spine. It also offers additional health benefits such as improved cardiovascular health and mental well-being.

Sources: The Guardian, New York Times, Newsweek, Times of India, India TV News, DW, 7. New Scientist, Science Daily, Newsmax, Indian Express, ABC, The Conversation, The Frontier Post.

This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.

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Israeli judoka Gefen Primo wins Abu Dhabi Grand Slam bronze

RachelG — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 06:09:23 +0000

Israeli judoka Gefen Primo won a bronze medal Friday at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in the United Arab Emirates, competing in the under-52 kg category.

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On her way to victory, she won against Yuri Nakauchi (Japan) and Iraoui Soumiya (Morocco). She was defeated by Chelsie Giles (Britain) in the semifinals. In the match for bronze, Primo defeated Polish judoka Aleksandra Kaleta.

"Although the grand slam ended with 'only' a bronze victory, I am very pleased with Gefen's abilities," coach Shany Hershko said. "In recent months, we have invested great effort in developing new elements, which, to my delight, have been reflected in competitions in Paris and Abu Dhabi. Gefen's medal collection from recent competitions is impressive and puts her in an excellent starting point for 2022."

At the Paris Grand Slam, Primo won gold.

Primo said she was "always happy to finish a competition with a medal. I don't underestimate any kind of medal, but to be honest, I feel disappointed that I didn't eat least reach the final. I feel I am in good shape, and I feel that the hard work I put in helps me advance. I am motivated to persevere.

"And even though I am the one who wins medals, I would like to express my gratitude to my coach Shany Hershko, the team coach Ido Bar, who helps me a lot, President of the Israel Judo Association Moshe Ponte and the team."

Timna Nelson Levy, who also competed at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, in the under-57 kg category, won a match against Lkhagvatogoo Enkhrilen (Mongolia) but lost in the semifinal against Priscilla Gneto (France). She suffered another defeat in the match for bronze against Faiza Mokdar (France).

Shira Rishony, who competed in the under-48 kg category, lost in the quarterfinals and was also defeated in the repechage.

Primo's younger sister, Kerem Primo, who competed in the under-57 kg category, bowed out of the competition in its earlier stages, failing to make any of the final rounds.

On Saturday, Gili Sharir, who competed in the under-63 kg category, won a match against Anastasiia Antipina (Ukraine) but lost to Lucy Renshall (Britain) in the quarter-final. Sharir also lost in the repechage.

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