White blood cells, or leukocytes, are immune cells that make up approximately 1 percent of whole blood. Your white blood cell counts are typically expressed as the number of white cells per microliter of blood, which is equal to one-millionth of a liter. A normal white blood cell count is usually between 4,500 to 10,000 white cells per microliter. White cells are produced in response to tissue trauma or damage, which may occur during vigorous exercise. For this reason your white blood cell count may increase when exercising, but only for a short period of time.
Prolonged Exercise
Leukocyte counts will often increase in response to tissue damage. For significant tissue damage to occur, you would have to exercise quite intensely for an extended period of time. Researcher Dr. Galun published in "The International Journal of Sports Medicine" in 1987 that exercise caused white cell counts to increase significantly, but only after 16 hours of continuous marching. This suggests that exercise must be intense enough to cause significant tissue injury, resulting in increased leukocyte production and higher white blood cell counts.
After Prolonged Exercise
Your white blood cell count may increase temporarily during intense exercise, in response to tissue damage but as the cells move from your blood to the injured tissue, your white blood cell count will decrease. Dr. Galun demonstrated that after 24 hours of continuous marching, white blood cell counts decreased to below baseline and stayed at these lower levels for 64 hours after prolonged exercise.
This decrease in white blood cell counts ,following a spike during prolonged exercise, may be due to tissue infiltration. This means that as white cells migrate from your blood to the site of tissue damage, the number of white cells in your blood decreases. For this reason it is important not to overdo it when exercising excessively because low white blood cell counts can leave you susceptible to illness, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Low Intensity Exercise
Low to moderate intensity exercise may not actually increase white blood cell counts. However, it can improve the rate at which your white blood cells circulate through your body, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This means that your white cells are able to identify and eliminate infections more rapidly, which can help you fend off illness more effectively. For this reason performing low intensity exercise such as walking 20 to 30 minutes a day can improve your overall health.
Warning
If you are concerned that your exercise regimen is impacting your white blood cell counts or your overall health, consult a medical health professional. He can conduct a complete blood cell count to determine if your white blood cell count is within normal range, and also review your exercise regimen with you to ensure that it is safe.
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