The Open Immune Window: Notes on Sweaty Workouts and Vanishing Immune Cells (opens in new tab)

Here is a question for you: is an intense, sweaty workout in the gym building up your immune health, or is it just opening a window of opportunity for a pathogen to ruin your week? To understand this, we first have to look at energy. The immune system is incredibly energy-hungry, constantly patrolling and repairing the body. When you exercise hard, your body is forced into a rapid game of resource allocation, diverting precious energy away from baseline functions to fuel your contracting musc...