Recovery of constitutive immune function after migratory endurance flight in free-living birds
Strenuous physical activity can negatively affect constitutive innate immune function (CIF), the always present first line of defence against pathogens. CIF is non-specific, and thus vital when encountering novel pathogens. A lowered CIF likely increases the risk of infection and disease. Migratory birds engage in truly extreme physical activity during their endurance flights, however, little is k