White blood cells in the saliva don't increase with exercise

What is it about?

We know that regular exercisers are better protected against sickness compared to people who don't exercise. Part of this may be because of immune function in the saliva. About 95% of sicknesses start in the nose or mouth. Exercise has shown to increase immune function in saliva. We once thought this was due to an increase in white blood cells. Our data suggests that white cells do not increase, but protection is still better after exercise, compared to before. In other words, the enhanced immune function is not due to an increase in white blood cells in the saliva.

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Why is it important?

Our data demonstrate for the first time that increased immune protection at mucosal surfaces is not created by an increase in white blood cells found in saliva.