This activity can increase antibodies after you receive your COVID-19 vaccine

Vaccines trigger your body’s immune response, making antibodies and protecting you from a virus. It goes without saying that the stronger your response, the better and more thorough your protection will be, as your body will produce the necessary antibodies to fight off the virus if exposed to it in the future.

A new study found that exercising after the COVID-19 vaccine could help you produce even more antibodies.

The study, published in the Journal of Brain, Behavior and Immunity, found that active adults who exercised for over 90 minutes after receiving their vaccine had elevated serum antibodies.

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER via Unsplash

RELATED: COVID-19 patients may be at higher risk for these diseases, new study finds

Researchers from Iowa State University studied participants who received a flu shot and a COVID-19 shot. For the COVID group, the researchers collected blood samples before their admissions, two weeks after receiving their first admission, and one week after receiving their second admission. The flu group submitted a blood sample before their immunization and in weeks two and four after their injection.

The flu group was asked to exercise 45 minutes, 90 minutes, or no exercise at all, while the COVID-19 group was asked to exercise 90 minutes or no exercise at all, and all stopped exercising shortly after their vaccination. The researchers discovered that those who exercised consistently for 90 minutes had elevated serum antibodies up to 4 weeks after the injection.

“Based on the data we have, we appear to see the same benefit as long as people are in the 60 to 70 percent range of their age-based maximum heart rate estimate [of increased antibodies]said lead researcher Marian Kohut, Ph.D.

Some of the most interesting findings from the study were those that showed how important duration of exercise was in terms of increasing antibodies. People who exercised for 45 minutes or at high intensity showed no benefit; What mattered was that the participants completed their 90 minutes at their chosen pace.

RELATED: COVID-19 can cause this problem in unvaccinated pregnant women

Although the study is small, it does show some interesting evidence regarding antibodies and what to do safely right after receiving a vaccine. Still, it’s important that people avoid exercising if they have a fever or another side effect of their vaccination that makes them feel weak and unable to cope with a long workout.