Support for Immunonutrition in Athletes

Over 70 years ago, in a scholarly paper, the first known scientific proof of immunonutrition was presented. Since 1947, more than ten thousand articles have been produced about this subject. The link between exercise and immunonutrition has been the subject of extensive investigation in recent years. This interest is a result of the fast-growing nutritional business in the world of sports. Professional athletes are also particularly interested in this relationship because it has a big impact on their performance. Professional Athletes in most cases are usually exposed to exhausting training, sleep disturbances, environmental stress, psychosocial and high intensity in the course of their profession (Gleeson, 2017, Pp. 499).

The mentioned risk factors in most cases are immune disruptors which can lead to the emergence of an illness or immunodepression. To optimize recovery and lessen these risk factors, nutritional mediation is in most cases used by athletes. Nevertheless, research has shown that only little nutrients have a positive effect in promoting the immune health of athletes. Immunonutritional Support for Athletes has been and is still used extensively by a nutritionist, and a lot of research is still done by in this. So, what is the scientific evidence for the Immunonutritional support for athletes? Is it scientifically supported?

Many nutritional agents are on test for their ability to reduce or stop completely immune changes or inflammation due to excessive exercise and oxidative stress. The nutritional supplements that are on the test to prevent immune changes, inflammation and oxidative stress sometimes do not work well on the athlete’s bodies, but some like vegetable extracts and carbohydrates work well (Ahmed et al., 2014).

Antioxidants

Most tests were done aiming at antioxidants as a high dose supplements. Extensive exercises lead to protein oxidation, oxidative stress or even lipid peroxidation. Oxidative stress that is triggered by heavy exercise may be connected to immune dysfunction, but evidence has not been found. The most recognized function for oxidant supplements in athletes during exercise in reducing oxidative stress and dysfunction of immunity is still unproven. Vitamin C an antioxidant supplement is not supported by studies done in the reduction of immune dysfunction. Also, vitamin E is also said to not to be a good supplement in reducing oxidative stress, or immune dysfunction due to long exercise in athletes. Therefore antioxidants as supplements in athletes cannot be recommended during their prolonged exercise because of the investigation and tests done on the supplements. Although, vitamin D in low levels can be used as supplements because in the test it was noted to change immune function in athletes during their intense exercises (Nieman et al., 2012, Pp. 320).

Carbohydrates

Several tests have been done on carbohydrates as a supplement in athletes. The tests have indicated that during great exercises in athletes uptake of carbohydrates supplements is useful as it attenuated stress hormones, increasing monocytes and neutrophils and cytokines such as IL-10’ Interleukin- 6 and 1ra that are anti-inflammatory. Mostly carbohydrates level of blood glucose or lowers the level of epinephrine and cortisol release during exercise and thus leads to adverse immune alterations after exercise. Thus making it a great measure of immune dysfunction. Carbohydrates also in athletes who are exercising so much may result in increased tissue glucose uptake or increased blood glucose level. Thus this leads to reducing; mRNA expression, stress hormone secretion, pro-inflammatory signals in the athlete's muscles that are working. Research shows that carbohydrates may interfere signaling proteins activation that stimulates skeletal muscles to adapt to training. Reduced level of blood sugar level when an athlete takes water during intensive exercise leads to increased adrenocorticotropic hormone, growth hormone, cortisol, and epinephrine. This is in the absence of carbohydrate supplement thus indicating that carbohydrates are necessary for immuno- nutritional support in athletes (Akerstrom et al., 2014, Pp.1771).

Glutamine

Glutamine is essential as an energy substrate for immune cells but during prolonged exercise glutamine level is lowered. This thus shows that glutamine depletion may affect the rates of lymphocytes T and B proliferation. Glutamine is also essential in the bodies of patients who have undergone surgery, trauma or are very ill as a component for formulas used in immune modulating. Low glutamine levels are sometimes observed as a result of extensive exercise. Research shows that glutamine intake as a supplement is a counter limit to immune dysfunctions that are exercise induced. Glutamine is not recommended as a supplement for athletes since it does decrease plasma concentration to levels that are harmful to the functioning of lymphocyte (Davison & Gleeson, 2016, Pp. 451).

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are also supplements that are put on a study by scientists to prove if they can be recommended for athletes. These are chemicals that plants produce and are classified into six different groups that are flavanols, flavanones, flavones, isoflavonoids, and flavonols. They function as very strong anti-obesity, antioxidant, as anti-inflammatory or even as anti- carcinogenic since they have the properties. Therefore oxidative stress and inflammation lead to support if flavonoids intake by athletes so that the supplement can prevent cancer or cardiovascular diseases (Bergendiova & Tibenska, 2013, Pp.2035).

However, research shows that time for flavonoid supplementation varies in time from minutes to days and the exercise intensity also matters. The serum f athletes who take green tea and blueberry as polyphenol supplements is different from placebo as it reduces viruses’ tendency to multiply. Below is a figure that illustrates it. Also, uptake of some flavonoid supplements in green tea extract or fish oil, research shows that they reduce oxidative stress in athletes and inflammation induced by intensive exercise. Quercetin is also used as a mimetic in exercise, and it enhances skeletal muscles density in athletes (Bakker et al., 2016, Pp. 1045).

Beta-glucan

Recent Research has shown that the use of minerals, vitamins, and glutamine does not give countermeasure advantages for well-nourished and healthy athletes when they are training heavily. Researchers have opted to look to other sources of nutritional components. Beta-glucan are found in barley, yeast, some fungi and some mushrooms and are usually polysaccharides in nature. A study done my Murphy and Nieman in 2008 on rodents showed that beta-glucan help to reduce the risk exercise related diseases by the increase of neutrophil and macrophage function. Bargendiova and his colleagues in 2011 did a study on the effect of beta-glucan from a mushroom on athletes and found out that it indeed has some beneficial effects to the athlete regarding improving their immune system. They also found out that different sources of β-glucan have different immunonutritional support. The reason behind this is the macromolecular structure, biological activity, and molecular weight differences. Throughout their research, the concluded that barley and oat products produce the best β-glucan products (Murphy et al., 2012, Pp. 1188).

Human body lacks the necessary enzymes needed to digest glucose into β-glucan in the small intestines, but barley and oat β-glucan is fermentable and is highly recommended for athletes to take at least 3 grams per day Davis, Murphy and Carmichael in 2010 determined that β-glucan have receptors on in dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, fibroblasts T cells, endothelial cells and in natural killer cells. The revelation about this receptors proves that the body is still able to absorb β-glucan even if it lacks the enzymatic breakdown during digestion. Recent studies on rodents and some fish show that intake of supplements of β-glucan activates the innate immune system and in the process reduce the various variety of infections for physically active individuals. A study on human athlete proved to be challenging, but several positive results were shown. The β-glucan such as β-(1, 3/1, 4)-D glucan from mushroom had a positive effect on the human immune system according to the studies done on humans. However, more research is still done, and on other forms, β-glucan are being exploited (Davis et al., 2015, Pp. 1325).

Advanced nutrition supplements

Research has shown that advanced nutritional supplements, for example, bovine colostrum, flavonoids, curcumin, N-3 PUFAs, herbal supplements, resveratrol and fish oil have beneficial effects on athletes. A lot of research is currently being done on specific advanced supplements effects on athletes, and new ones are being found each day. A good example is N-3 PUFAs which has been found to minimize the production of inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen, and eicosanoids and have also been shown to have many immune-regulation activities (Yfanti et al., 2010, Pp. 1388).

Many researchers suggest that athletes need at least 1-2 grams of N-3 PUFAs daily to deal with immune-challenges such as inflammation, trauma due to high body activity and radical formation of oxygen. According to research done by Shing, bovine colostrum has benefits such as the promotion of exercise performance, maintenance of the functions of the immune system when exercising and development of antimicrobial factors. Other researchers suggest that combination of the advanced supplements in a one product such as a beverage can bring out the remarkable improvement of the immune system. Recent research is looking at ways that advanced supplements can be used to target primary immune system and at the same time induce the innate system to tackle the pathogens that affect athletes while exercising (West et al., 2010, Pp. 110).

Conclusion

Naturally, athletes always train hard due to the competition they encounter in the fields. In this line, athletes are very much interested in methods that could improve their immune system and at the same time counter the problem of illness that comes with the stress they experience in the field. For many nutritionists, the aim is to provide athletes with a food supplement or drink that contains a nutrient which will fight many diseases and reduce oxidative stress that comes as a result of exercise. Carbohydrates, beta-glucan, flavonoids, glutamine and other advanced nutritional supplements all help athletes maintain a good immune health. Scientific research has been done on the immunonutritional elements and science has been able to prove the importance of certain nutrients to athletes. So in conclusion, there is a great scientific evidence behind immunonutritional support for athletes.









References list

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