Rigorous methodological approaches to address knowledge gaps in exercise, nutrition, immunity, and infection risk...

Area of Science:

• Exercise immunology
• Nutritional immunology
• Infection risk assessment

Background:

• Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) significantly impact athletes' training, recovery, and performance.
• URTI risk is influenced by exercise, stress, sleep, travel, nutrition, and pathogen exposure.
• Traditional research using ex vivo immune markers has limited clinical relevance for predicting URTI risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the limitations of traditional ex vivo immune markers in exercise immunology.
• To emphasize the importance of in vivo immune markers and clinical outcomes for assessing URTI risk in athletes.
• To explore both immune-modulating and immune-independent mechanisms of nutritional interventions on URTI.

Main Methods:

• Critique of traditional ex vivo immune marker research in exercise immunology.
• Emphasis on the shift towards in vivo immune markers and clinical endpoints.
• Discussion of nutritional interventions' potential immune-independent effects.

Main Results:

• Ex vivo immune markers often lack clinical relevance and do not accurately predict URTI risk.
• In vivo markers and clinical outcomes provide a more robust assessment of infection risk.
• Nutritional interventions may mitigate URTI through both immune and non-immune pathways.

Conclusions:

• Future research should prioritize clinically relevant endpoints like validated URTI logs and pathogen screening.
• Utilizing in vivo markers that reflect the integrated immune response is recommended.
• Experimental infection models and stringent controls are essential for accurate intervention assessment in athletes.