2023-06-23 07:00:51
It is recommended to practice at least 150 minutes/week of aerobic physical activity or an equivalent combination, plus muscle-strengthening activity of moderate or higher intensity at least twice a week. Aerobic exercise, which includes brisk/brisk walking, swimming, running, and stair climbing, increases heart rate and “makes you sweat”. Muscle-strengthening activities include weight lifting and/or resistance band wielding, squats, lunges, and push-ups.
Rather associated with cardiometabolic or mental health benefits, aerobic or “cardio” exercise appears, with this study, to be linked to a significantly reduced rate of death from influenza or pneumonia and these effects are observed even in the event of weekly practice below the physical activity guidelines. However, the study suggests a level above which these effects end up “ceilinging”.
Physical activity vs respiratory infections?
The study analyzes data from 577,909 participants in the US National Health Survey NHIS, conducted between 1998 and 2018. Among the data collected, the frequency with which participants spent 10 minutes or more in vigorous, light or moderate, as well as muscle-strengthening activities. Each participant was then ranked according to their level of adherence to recommendations for aerobic activity and muscle building. 5 adherence levels were defined: less than 10, 10–149, 150–300, 301–600 and more than 600 min/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity; and less than 2, 2, 3, 4–6 and 7 or more sessions/week of muscle-strengthening activities. The analysis reveals that:
50.5% of participants do not reach any of the 2 weekly objectives; socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, pre-existing comorbidities, vaccination once morest influenza and/or pneumonia are all factors independent of the level of physical activity practiced; 34% of participants did no aerobic exercise; 78% less than 2 weekly sessions of muscle strengthening activity; over an average follow-up period of 9 years, 14% of participants died; 2% of these deaths were attributed to influenza and pneumonia. Participants who met both weekly physical activity goals, aerobic and strengthening, had a 48% reduced risk of death from influenza or pneumonia vs participants who did not meet either goal; Achieving the aerobic exercise goal alone is associated with a 36% reduction in risk of respiratory infection, following controlling for possible confounders Achieving the muscle-strengthening exercise alone goal is not induces no reduction in this risk; while achieving only the muscle building goal is not associated with any significant difference in risk; however and curiously exceeding 7 sessions or more, appears associated with a higher risk of 41% (?); practicing 10 to 149, 150 to 300 and 301 to 600 minutes/week of aerobic physical exercise is associated with respective reductions of 21%, 41% and 50% in the risk of respiratory infection; no additional benefit is seen above 600 minutes of aerobic exercise per week.
If the practice of less than 150 minutes/week of aerobic exercise is insufficient according to the guidelines, such a practice already offers health and immunity benefits,
compared to physical inactivity.
This observational study does not establish a causal relationship but provides new evidence of the benefits of physical activity for the development of immunity. Thus, highlighting this less well-known benefit, the authors call for focus on reducing the prevalence of aerobic inactivity to combat the still significant incidence of mortality from influenza and other respiratory infections. Including COVID-19.
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#EXERCISE #Aerobic #prevents #pneumonia
