Sport is healthy and strengthens our immune system, thus reducing susceptibility to infection. However, after a particularly hard training session, our body needs some time to recover. One often feels very tired, has an increased need for sleep and may notice muscle pain the next day. This condition is hard work for our body, because micro tears in muscle tissue, destroyed cells and worn-out tissue particles that have arisen from training must be repaired and replaced.
However, our immune system is also responsible for fighting viruses and bacteria. However, right after a hard training session, our body gets busy regenerating muscles and the body’s defenses weaken. The window for pathogens is wide open, so to speak, and our organism is particularly vulnerable to infection at this point. This phenomenon is also described in technical terms as the “open window effect”. Basically, the higher the intensity of the sporting activity, the greater the burden on the immune system. It may take several hours or even several days for the immune system to return to normal.
