Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Is infection risk linked to exercise workload?

D C Nieman1

  • 1Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608, USA. niemandc@appstate.edu

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|July 26, 2000
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ajuga turkestanica increases Notch and Wnt signaling in aged skeletal muscle.

European review for medical and pharmacological sciences·2014
Same author

A-Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance--Part 33.

British journal of sports medicine·2012
Same author

Inflammation and oxidative stress are lower in physically fit and active adults.

Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports·2011
Same author

A-Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance: part 15.

British journal of sports medicine·2010
Same author

The variable plasma quercetin response to 12-week quercetin supplementation in humans.

European journal of clinical nutrition·2010
Same author

Relationship between salivary IgA secretion and upper respiratory tract infection following a 160-km race.

The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness·2006

Regular exercise can reduce upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) risk, despite heavy training potentially increasing susceptibility. Research is ongoing to understand the transient immune changes after intense exercise and their link to URTI risk.

Area of Science:

  • Exercise immunology
  • Sports medicine
  • Infectious disease epidemiology

Background:

  • Endurance athletes may face increased upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) risk post-intense training or racing.
  • However, regular exercise and avoiding overtraining are linked to reduced URTI risk in fitness enthusiasts.
  • The precise relationship between exercise-induced immune alterations and infection risk remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the link between exercise, immune function, and URTI risk in athletes.
  • To investigate the transient immune suppression following heavy exertion.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions in mitigating exercise-induced immune changes and infection risk.

Main Methods:

  • Review of anecdotal, survey, and epidemiological data.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of studies on immune system components (innate and adaptive) after heavy exertion.
  • Examination of research on nutritional and chemical interventions (e.g., glutamine, vitamin C) to modulate immune response.

    • Main Results:

    • Evidence suggests a temporary suppression of immune function for several hours after strenuous exercise.
    • No consistent link has been established between nutritional interventions, exercise immunology, and altered URTI risk.
    • The majority of endurance athletes do not report illness despite heavy training.

    Conclusions:

    • While heavy exertion may transiently suppress immunity, regular training appears protective against URTI.
    • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms of immune response to prolonged, intensive exercise.
    • Clinical applications for preventing URTI in athletes require more robust evidence on immune modulation and nutritional strategies.