Sports and strengthens the immune system

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Regular exercise helps strengthen the immune system, improve health. However, for professional athletes, the common cold symptoms that occur during and after training period warn of a weakened immune system. So what is the relationship between sport and the immune system?

1. The link between sport and the immune system

Many studies show that high intensity and prolonged exercise can weaken the immune system. At the same time, there is an increased risk of upper respiratory infections such as colds. The cause of the above situation is mainly due to intense exercise combined with stress and pressure that have negatively affected health such as:
Changes in the number and function of immune cells Circulatory fluid An increase in the level of stress hormones such as cortisol Disturbance of anti-inflammatory immune proteins In addition, a number of other factors cause the immune system to weaken in people who regularly exercise such as:

1.1. Stress

Exercise tends to reduce mental and emotional stress. But for athletes, busy schedules and little time for rest and relaxation can make training more grueling.

1.2. Sleep disorders

Professional athletes often compete in many places, leading to time zone difference. This disrupts the biological clock, affecting sleep quality. Not getting enough rest can decrease your ability to fight infections and your immune system to adapt to a new environment.

1.3. Lack of energy

To function at its best, the immune system needs energy just like any other organ in the body. When the immune system is not fully supplemented with nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals... will make immune function impaired.
The immune system tends to decline more severely when athletes prolong training time more than 90 minutes. You do not have time to rest between periods of intense training, athletes have a tight schedule.

2. What should athletes do to not affect the immune system?

2.1. Take a lot of time to rest

A dense training schedule but no rest time can lead to many diseases and reduced exercise performance. To ensure health as well as training efficiency, each athlete should build a training regimen as well as a moderate rest time.
To strengthen the immune system, you need to follow basic hygiene principles such as frequently washing hands with soap, not sharing personal items with other teammates. In many cases, even if you try to prevent it, you can still contract an illness such as an upper respiratory infection caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

2.2. Nutritional food supplement

Food plays a particularly important role in the health and performance of each athlete. Therefore, you need to add foods such as: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, healthy fats and low-fat dairy products....
Nutrient sources can be supplemented through the diet. However, it may not meet the energy needs of many athletes. Therefore, you can take a multivitamin, omega-3 fatty acid supplement.

2.3. Topical carbs supplement

In addition to a healthy diet, adding carbohydrates to fuel exercise will reduce stress on the immune system. This is because carbs can help limit stress hormone responses and fuel immune cell function. In particular, consuming carbs during exercise helps limit the immunosuppressive effects that occur after heavy exercise.
In general, topical carb supplementation has the following effects:
Prevents fatigue before exercise Maintains energy expenditure during workouts lasting more than 60 minutes Stores energy for workouts or next competition Regular exercise helps to strengthen the immune system and improve health. However, you should consider with a suitable exercise schedule, combined with a healthy diet to ensure effective training performance.

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Reference source: mayoclinic.org