Exercise Can Increase the Rate of Wound Healing

After getting injured, people normally only think about first-aid measures like cleaning the wound and putting a wound dressing or bandage.  However, there are other important aspects of wound care to keep in mind.  Physical activity has a close link with well-being in all aspects of life including wound healing.  A study by American scientists found that regular exercise may speed up the healing process in older adults by about 25 percent.

Charles Emery, a professor of psychology at the Ohio State University, together with a team of researchers, conducted a study which involved 28 adults between the ages of 55 and 77 who were of normal health.  Before the beginning of the study they weren’t involved in regular exercise for at least six months.  During the study period, 13 participants exercised three times a week, while the other 15 who served as controls, remained inactive.  One month after the beginning of exercise regime, all of the participants were given a small puncture wound on the arm.  The researchers kept a photographic record of the wound until they closed.

An endurance test was administered for all participants at the beginning and at the end of the study to measure their level of fitness.  Their cortisol levels were also measured.  In addition to these test, the participants also reported the perceived levels of stress.  The duration of exercise sessions was 70 minutes, which included 10 minutes of warm-up, 30 minutes of stationary bike riding, then 15 minutes of walking or jogging on a treadmill, and finally strength training for 15 minutes followed by five minutes of cool-down.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to document this kind of enhancement associated with exercise,” said Charles Emery.
The study results showed that the wounds of the participants, who exercised, healed faster by 10 days on average as compared to the control group.  In other findings, researchers observed an increase in the levels of cortisol in the exercise group which was a little unusual because exercise is supposed to reduce the cortisol levels.  

“The stress of exercise may enhance the regulation of cortisol,” Emery said. “This increase in cortisol levels may represent a biological pathway by which exercise helps wounds heal.”

According to the researchers, this study corroborates with the results of a similar study conducted in the past, which compared the rate of wound healing in older adults who were looking after a family member or loved one with Alzhiemer’s diseases and adults who weren’t caring for AD patients.

“The findings from both studies indicate that the effect of exercise we found in the current study truly represents an enhanced rate of wound healing in older adults,” Emery said.