Physical Activity Increases Immunity to COVID-19 Infection

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Coronaviruses are significant positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses causing severe respiratory illness and systemic failure.
• Viral infections compromise the immune system, exacerbate underlying conditions, and can lead to mortality.
• Physical activity influences immune system antiviral mechanisms, with implications for infection outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of exercise on viral infections, particularly coronaviruses.
• To investigate the differential effects of moderate exercise versus overtraining on viral response.
• To understand the role of physical activity in maintaining muscle mass and preventing atrophy.

Main Methods:

• Review of animal investigations using influenza and simplex virus models.
• Analysis of preclinical research on overtraining and viral infections.
• Examination of the physiological mechanisms linking physical activity to muscle protein synthesis.

Main Results:

• Modest exercise, pre- or post-infection, has been shown to improve morbidity and mortality in animal models.
• Overtraining negatively impacts the host's response to viral infections.
• Physical activity activates muscle protein synthesis, essential for muscle mass maintenance.

Conclusions:

• Moderate exercise may mitigate the severity of viral infections, including those caused by coronaviruses.
• Overtraining can impair the immune response to viral pathogens.
• Maintaining muscle mass through physical activity is vital, especially in older adults, to counteract anabolic resistance and muscle atrophy.