Why Your Immune System Could Be the Key to Better Training
You can’t train if you’re sick. It sounds obvious, but immunity is often overlooked in the pursuit of strength and endurance. A stint of missed sessions quickly adds up, and the gains you’ve worked for can start to slip away. Protecting your immune system isn’t just about avoiding a cold; it’s about keeping your training on track.
The Cost of Missed Sessions
Training consistency is fragile. Even short breaks have measurable effects on your body’s systems.
Within 1–2 weeks, our VO₂ max (the maximum amount of oxygen our body can use during exercise) starts to decrease. Over this period, the enzymes that drive endurance performance become less active, making sustained efforts feel harder, even if the workouts themselves haven’t changed.
After about 3 weeks, efficiency begins to fade. Your body tires more quickly, and sessions that once felt comfortable suddenly demand more effort.
At around the one-month mark, endurance athletes can lose as much as 20% of their VO₂ max, which can take weeks of consistent training to rebuild.
The takeaway is clear: fitness is built over time but can slip away quickly without regular stimulus. Repeated missed sessions don’t just pause progress; they can reverse it. Improving our immunity helps us reduce the chances of missing sessions due to illness.
Supporting Immunity Through Cold Water
Cold water exposure has been shown to influence immune function in ways that directly support training resilience.
White blood cells
White blood cells are your first defence against infection, patrolling the body for invading pathogens. Cold water immersion has been linked to increased white blood cell activity, meaning your body may be better prepared to fight off illness and keep you training consistently.
Natural killer cells
These are specialised immune cells that target and destroy infected or abnormal cells before they spread. Regular cold exposure has been shown to boost their numbers, giving your immune system a faster response when it’s under pressure.
Lymphatic circulation
The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in clearing waste, toxins, and pathogens from the body. Cold water immersion forces lymphatic vessels to contract and relax, creating a pumping action that moves lymph fluid more efficiently and supports overall immune function.
Keep Training, Stay Strong
Immunity underpins consistency. Cold exposure won’t replace sleep, nutrition, or smart programming, but it can give your immune system another edge. And with fewer missed sessions, your progress is less likely to stall. Strong immunity means steady gains.
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