Immunonutrition Strategies for Sportsmen and Athletes

Kathryn Adel January 3, 2018 Eat Well, Health, sports

4) Don’t be afraid of carbohydrates

A low carbohydrate intake before, during, or after intense and/or prolonged exercise can contribute to weakening the immune system. Thus, it is important to consume enough carbohydrates to limit exercise-induced depression of the immune system.

Eating whole, unprocessed foods that are rich in carbohydrates in the appropriate portions for the needs of the organism does not make you “fat”, as many people think. Preferred sources of carbohydrates include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and low-fat dairy products. Athletes who exercise between 1 to 3 hours a day need about five to ten grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day, depending on the training cycle, which translates to 340 to 680 g per day for a 68 kg (150 lb) person. To give you an idea of the number of grams of carbohydrates in food, a medium banana contains 30 g of carbohydrates, a cup of cooked brown rice contains 45 g, and a cup of black beans contains 41 g.

Adequate carbohydrate intake should also be consumed before and during exercise to limit the extent and severity of exercise-induced immune depression. Ingesting about 40 g of carbohydrates per hour during prolonged exercise (>90 minutes) helps maintain blood sugar, lower circulating stress hormones, and thus help limit the depression of one’s immune function.

5) Avoid excessive alcohol consumption

Excessive alcohol intake leads to dehydration and impairs post-workout recovery, which can weaken the immune system.

6) Take a vitamin D supplement

Vitamin D is naturally found in very few foods. The only foods that contain it in its natural form are fatty fish and egg yolks. Other sources of vitamin D in our diet come from fortified foods like milk and some yogurts and plant-based beverages. Exposure to the sun makes it possible to synthesize the majority of vitamin D. The fact that we live in a northern region makes us more at risk of suffering from this vitamin deficiency during the long winter months. An optimal intake of vitamin D can optimize athletic performance through its many benefits on bone health, muscle function, immune function, and inflammatory modulation. More concretely, this means that optimal vitamin D intake could reduce certain factors affecting performance, such as stress fractures, muscle pain, and colds and flu. A dose of at least 1000 IU per day is recommended during the months of October to April. Since the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D from the sun decreases with age, individuals aged 50 and over should take a vitamin D supplement year-round.

7) Other suggested supplements to prevent infections or limit the duration of symptoms

Lactobacillus and/or Bifidobacterium probiotics (daily doses of more than 1010 live bacteria) may reduce the incidence of respiratory infections in physically active or stressed individuals. A Cochrane review of 12 studies including 3720 subjects showed a decrease of about 50% in the incidence of URTIs, and a shortening of URTIs of about 2 days associated with taking probiotics, but the quality of the evidence was low.

When symptoms of respiratory illness begin, there is evidence that taking zinc lozenges (>75 mg zinc/day; with a high content of ionic zinc) may reduce the number of days that symptoms of the illness will last. Other supplements are promising, such as colostrum and glutamine, but more studies are needed.

In conclusion

SOSCuisine offers a variety of meal plans based on the Mediterranean diet, including some for sports and endurance sports. These meal plans are customisable according to the allergies, intolerances and food preferences of each individual, and are therefore a simple and effective way to follow an adapted, varied and balanced diet with little to no processed foods.

Alternatively, a Registered Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition can perform a nutritional assessment and provide personalized recommendations to help you reach your goals.

Sources

1. Konig et coll. (2000). Upper respiratory tract infection in athletes: Influence of lifestyle, type of sport, training effort, and immunostimulant intake. Exercise Immunology Reviews, 6, 102–120.
2. Castell et coll. (2019). Exercise-induced illness and inflammation: Can immunonutrition and iron help? International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 29(2), 181- 188.
3. Gleeson (2022) What you can eat and do to reduce becoming infected with respiratory pathogens like the corona virus. https://www.mysportscience.com/post/2020/03/12/what-you-can-eat-and-do-to-reduce-becoming-infected-with-respiratory-pathogens-like-the-c
4. Walsh (2019) Nutrition and Athlete Immune Health: New Perspectives on an Old Paradigm. Sports Med; 49 (suppl 2): 153-168.
5. Close et coll. (2022) Food First but Not Always Food Only”: Recommendations for Using Dietary Supplements in Sport. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab;32(5):371-386.
6. Hao, Dong et Wu (2015). Probiotics for preventing acute upper respiratory tract infections. Cochrane Database Syst Rev; 3;(2):CD006895.

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   Author

   

   Kathryn Adel

   Kathryn holds a Bachelor Degree in Nutrition as well as a Bachelor and a Master Degree in Kinesiology, all from Laval University. She is a Registered Dietitian and active member of the Ordre professionnel des Diététistes Nutritionnistes du Québec (ODNQ) and of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She holds the Monash University's certification for the FODMAP diet and IBS, and has considerable clinical experience in that area. She is also an accomplished athlete, having ran track and cross-country at a national level. Kathryn specializes in sports nutrition, weight loss, diabetes, as well as heart and gastrointestinal health.

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