After high-intensity efforts, the immune defenses drop for a short period of time. If physical activity is carried out during the incubation period of the virus, there is a risk of a more serious course of the disease
Francesco Totti, in the exclusive interview with Aldo Cazzullo, returned to tell his terrible 25 days with Covid which severely debilitated him with a fever that did not go down, bilateral pneumonia, low oxygen saturation and the strengths leaving. It was November 2020, atvaccines were not yet available. He himself was convinced that she would get away with a few days off thanks also to her athletic physique. Instead the disease was very heavy. Totti was no longer a Roma player, however he is still a sportsman and has been playing padel at a high level for years.
But how can that own sportsmenwho have a fit and strong physique and are bursting with health get sick in a serious way with Covid? Let’s not forget that the first Italian patient from Codogno, Mattia, at the time 38, who survived by a whisker, had just participated in a marathon, yet he encountered very important breathing difficulties. The reasons are different and also the physical activity that is too intense has to do with it.
Intense training and immune system
Athletes and sportsmen face particular risks
. After prolonged high-intensity exercise I notice that the cells of the immune system are temporarily inhibited and in the phase following intense physical activity there is a drop in immune defenses which takes the name of open windowopen window: this is the moment when the risk of infections rises significantly. After intense physical exertion, without frequent adequate recovery an antibody deficiency situation occurs, which makes the athlete more susceptible to all infections, including coronavirus. Gianfranco Beltrami, sports doctor, national vice president of the Italian Sports Medical Federation. The so-called open window can have a very variable duration, depending on the athlete’s conditions and the activity carried out and range from 3 to 72 hours following a particularly intense workout. The mechanism does not only concern Covid, but all diseases.
In an Italian studio
specific on Sars-CoV-2 it had already emerged that when you perform intense and prolonged physical exercise with very high respiratory flows and volumes, precisely in the days ofi incubation immediately preceding the onset of symptoms, it comes facilitated the direct penetration of the virus into the lower airways and alveoli, strongly reducing the protective impact of the mucous membranes of the airways, covered by “neutralizing” antibodies. For this the athletes, if affected by the virus in these stages, they can also become seriously ill. However, it is important to remember that constant, medium-load physical activity strengthens the immune system, as well as having endless other benefits.
During the’physical activity among other things is inhaled more deeply (therefore it is more at risk of contagion in the presence of an infected person) e you exhale just as deeply (and you risk emitting a high amount of virus droplets if you get infected).
Environmental conditions
Some environmental conditions also contribute to the risk of infection. In addition to contact during a match or competition, it is easy for him athletes speak loudlyhave discussions at close range, breathe close together. The athletes also they share the locker room and the absence of controlled mechanical ventilation in these environments can increase the risk of contagion.
The post-vaccine era
Naturally today with the spread of vaccines, things have definitely improved and the risks of becoming seriously ill with Covid, for those vaccinated, have decreased in the entire population, including athletes. We know that strenuous physical activity tends, for a short period of time, to a decrease the function of T lymphocytes (with the task of destroying infected cells), stimulated by the anti Covid vaccines. However, intense sporting activity also makes the cells present in saliva less effective, l’immunoglobina IgA which, while representing only 10-15% of the antibodies present in our organism, are ffundamental in the defense of upper respiratory tract infections . The IgA antibodies they are very effective in blocking the virus through the mucous membranes, but sare difficult to stimulate with classic intramuscular vaccineslike those that have been done so far, for this a great help could come from nasal spray vaccines that instead produce IgA antibodies, with the aim of blocking the infection in its bud.
September 11, 2022 (change September 11, 2022 | 14:58)
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