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

Marathon training and immune function.

David C Nieman1

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

Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
|May 1, 2007
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

Exercise-induced changes in hemostasis markers in marathon runners: effects of enzyme supplementation and determinants.

Frontiers in physiology·2026
Same author

Effects of exercise interventions on core health outcomes in patients with SLE: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Lupus science & medicine·2026
Same author

Sports Nutrition: Current and Novel Insights (2nd Edition).

Nutrients·2026
Same author

Goals in Nutrition Science 2025-2030.

Frontiers in nutrition·2026
Same author

Exogenous myrosinase from mustard seed increases bioavailability of sulforaphane from a glucoraphanin-rich broccoli seed extract in a randomized clinical study.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Editorial: Advancements in dietary supplements: enhancing sport performance and recovery.

Frontiers in sports and active living·2025
Same journal

Cross-Education Effect on Force Production Capacity After Unilateral Resistance Training in Clinical Populations: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
Same journal

Re-establishing Confidence in Confidence Intervals: An Evaluation of Recent Practices in Sport Injury Epidemiology.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
Same journal

Reliable Change of Blood-Based Biomarkers Following Acute Sport-Related Concussion: A CARE Consortium Study.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
Same journal

Polygenic Score Identifies Athletes at Increased Risk for Slower Recovery After Sport-Related Concussion: A Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium Study.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
Same journal

Precision Exercise for Breast Cancer-Related Outcomes: Towards Personalised Training Based on Tumour, Treatment and Patient Characteristics.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
Same journal

Factors Influencing Consultant Knee Surgeons' Decision Making in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Management in Athletes: An International Delphi Study.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·2026
See all related articles

Marathon running causes immune system dysfunction, increasing infection risk. Carbohydrates help, but other immune cell functions remain suppressed, necessitating further research into effective countermeasures.

Area of Science:

  • Exercise immunology
  • Physiology of endurance events

Background:

  • Marathon exertion significantly alters immune system components across various body sites.
  • Innate immune cells like natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, and macrophages show pronounced changes in number and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review immune system changes following marathon-type exertion.
  • To evaluate nutritional and pharmacological countermeasures for marathon-induced immune perturbations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on immune responses to endurance exercise.
  • Analysis of the effectiveness of various countermeasures, including carbohydrates, glutamine, antioxidants, and ibuprofen.

Main Results:

  • Marathon exertion leads to an 'open window' of immune dysfunction (3-72 hours), increasing susceptibility to infection.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Carbohydrate ingestion during exercise mitigates some immune changes (cytokines, stress hormones) but not others (NK and T-cell function, salivary IgA).
  • Glutamine, antioxidants, and ibuprofen have shown limited efficacy.

    • Conclusions:

    • Carbohydrate supplementation is partially effective but insufficient alone to counter all exercise-induced immune changes.
    • Further research is needed to identify effective companion agents to carbohydrate for mitigating marathon-induced immune dysfunction.