SportsGeezer readers will probably not be surprised to learn that exercise, in general, boosts our response to vaccinations. Still, they may be interested in a New York Times report on two recent studies that suggest that intense training amplifies our vaccine response. In one study, conducted in Germany, researchers compared the immune response to a flu vaccination in two groups: one group of 45 competitive athletes at the peak of training, and one group of 25 young people who were reasonably fit, but not athletes. Blood drawn from both groups one week, two weeks and six months after vaccination showed a more pronounced immune response in the athletes, particularly in tests taken one week post vaccination.
A second study used the same data (from the athletes only), but looked at the timing of the vaccination and the most recent workout. It compared the immune response of athletes who were vaccinated within two hours of their last workout and those who were vaccinated more than a day after their last workout. And the difference was…… none. The workout neither raised nor lowered the immune response.