How to exercise to increase vaccine effectiveness?

Moderate exercise can increase vaccine effectiveness by stimulating antibody production, according to Dr. Pham Hong Thuyet, Medical Manager of VNVC Vaccination System.

"When exercising, blood and lymph flow increases, promoting the circulation of immune cells. From there, the ability to produce antibodies after vaccination is also increased," said Dr. Thuyet.

The doctor cited a study by the University of Iowa (USA) published in 2022, studying participants who regularly exercised at a light to moderate intensity for 90 minutes, such as cycling in place or walking briskly, immediately after receiving a flu or Covid-19 vaccine. The results showed that the exercise group had a high antibody response after 4 weeks, while those who just sat or were sedentary did not have an increase in antibodies.

The study also found that exercise that gets the heart rate between 120 and 140 beats per minute is most effective. Exercises lasting 90 minutes produce higher levels of antibodies from the vaccine than those who exercise for 45 minutes. Exercises lasting less than 45 minutes do not affect antibody production.

Light to moderate exercise is recommended to help increase antibodies after vaccination. Source: Freepik

According to Dr. Thuyet, the recommended exercises after vaccination are light to moderate intensity, such as walking, jogging, cycling, or endurance exercises such as squats, lunges, light weight training... In particular, light to moderate intensity exercises do not cause sweating or moderate sweating, increase breathing rate but do not cause difficulty in talking.

People can exercise up to 150 minutes a week, equivalent to 21 minutes a day. Exercise also helps reduce discomfort such as fatigue and pain at the injection site. If you feel tired or weak after vaccination, people should not try to exercise and need to rest properly.

In addition to the benefits of producing antibodies after vaccination, exercise also helps maintain a healthy weight and body shape, and strengthens resistance. Therefore, Dr. Thuyet believes that people should not wait until they are vaccinated to exercise, but should maintain the habit of exercising combined with a reasonable diet, and stay away from stimulants such as cigarettes, alcohol, etc.

Nhat Linh

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/tap-the-thao-nhu-the-nao-de-tang-hieu-qua-vaccine-4660843.html