Amar Nath Mukherjee
Why
do we have an occasional bout of fever?
Basically
when our body is seized by micro-enemy forces like bacteria, viruses, etc.
creating a patho-physiological condition in our body, our body’s immune
response to a siege, is the elevation of the body temperature, which is
effected by desensitizing the body’s temperature regulatory system of the
hypothalamus. Also the cytokine is secreted to trigger the inflammatory
response so as to be able to destroy the invading micro-organism in our body.
The elevated temperature of the body significantly helps our immune system to
annihilate the germs, bacteria, etc. On the flip side of the rise of body
temperature to very high say more than 101oF and above our other
normal cells of the body are likely to be seriously impacted. Hence, in such
case the temperature will have to be controlled by medicine when it exceeds
more than 101oF and above. Nevertheless the temperature should not
also be kept at lower level so as not to make our immune system weak while
fighting the enemy at lower body temperature.
In
view of the above we can infer that the rise in body temperature during fever
creates a condition in our body which is inimical to the survival of the
disease causing microbes, thus the fever helps us to be aware that our body has
been under siege by parasites, bacteria, and viruses. At the same time it also
helps us to destroy the microbe by synergistically acting along with our immune
system and medicine.
Now
if we can extrapolate the similar condition during our day to day work out,
what happens when we engage ourselves with aerobic or weight training
activities. Our body temperature increase because during that period our
cardiac out put of blood (CO) significantly increases. Consequent to higher
heart rate, as a result of which the total peripheral resistance (TPR) of the
blood vessels also increase.
But
in this case our temperature regulatory mechanism (hypothalamus) is not
disturbed as it happens in fever.
The
rise in body temperature during our regular work out session helps to
annihilate the accumulated germs, bacteria, virus that we continuously receive
every day from our surroundings (but not active yet).
In
the final analysis we find that those who regularly engage in exercise are
substantially less prone to diseases. Every body wants to remain disease free
and hence there is absolutely no other option, but to exercise regularly.
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