SVG Health Report: Exercise May Block Colds

Being fit — or at least a perception of being fit — appears to be associated with a reduction in upper-respiratory-tract infections, researchers found. During a 12-week period, individuals who said they exercised at least five days a week had 43% fewer days with an upper-respiratory-tract infection than those who exercised no more than one day a week (P<0.05), according to David Nieman PhD, of Appalachian State University in Kannapolis, NC, and colleagues. Similarly, those who rated themselves as highly fit had 46% fewer days with a respiratory infection than those who reported low fitness (P<0.05), the researchers reported online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. For the complete story, click here.