{"id":5,"date":"2015-02-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/are-you-exercising-yourself-sick\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T18:50:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T18:50:47","slug":"are-you-exercising-yourself-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/are-you-exercising-yourself-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Exercising Yourself Sick?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS TOO MUCH? ASK YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM<\/h2>\n
I was talking with a Doctor friend of mine recently about a Beta Glucan product and we were talking about some of the benefits this product has and the research behind it. Very impressive actually and I\u2019ve ordered some to try it out to see if I notice any benefits for inflammation as well.<\/span><\/div>\n
We got to talking about inflammation and it\u2019s destructive role in our health and started to talk about exercise, too much exercise and it\u2019s potential role in causing inflammation and other effects on the body.<\/span><\/div>\n
Dr. Bill talked about the effects that too much exercise can actually have on our health and be harmful to our immunity system and that other stressors caused in strenuous exercise can also affect our heart health.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I thought that that was an interesting comment so I researched it a bit further and would like to share this article with you that talks about this very thing.<\/span><\/div>\n
Some of the information may be a bit technical but the article is an easy read and has some good information on how we can train ourselves in a health and safe manner.<\/span><\/div>\n
Enjoy!<\/span><\/div>\n
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<\/span>\u201cGetting an adequate amount of exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body. <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

That much we know for sure. Exercise builds muscle; it increases insulin sensitivity; it improves balance and coordination\u2026the benefits are almost endless. And since only so few Americans ever get any exercise at all, most of the public-health messages are focused on doing more of it. <\/span><\/p>\n

But exercise isn\u2019t just a limitless good \u2013 there\u2019s a point when \u201chealthy\u201d shades into \u201ctoo much,\u201d<\/b> and you can actually improve your health by doing\u00a0less<\/i> of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are all kinds of ways of figuring out when this point is. Some people can just \u201cfeel it\u201d when they could use a rest; others use various metrics (their lifting log, their mileage count, their coach\u2019s suggestion) or simply take a rest day every so often regardless of whether they \u201cfeel it\u201d or not. <\/span><\/p>\n

But from a scientific perspective, one of the most interesting ways to look at it is from the immune perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n

A healthy amount of exercise provides an overall \u201cboost\u201d to the immune system (to the extent that you can really \u201cboost\u201d something as complex as immunity). But did you know that\u00a0overdoing it actually <\/b>reduces <\/i>immune function<\/b>? <\/span><\/p>\n

Endurance athletes (like marathon runners, distance swimmers, and triathletes) have notably depressed immunity, especially when it comes to upper respiratory tract infections (like colds). And when these elite athletes do get colds, their symptoms tend to last longer and be more severe.<\/span><\/p>\n

These runners perform at higher levels than the rest of us, but the trade off is their health.<\/span><\/p>\n

And unless you\u2019re an elite athlete, you don\u2019t want to make that trade off. Tracking the immune system lets you see when you\u2019re sacrificing optimal health for performance \u2013 and how to stay on the \u201chealth\u201d side of the line.<\/span><\/p>\n

What kind of exercise lowers immunity, and why?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s pretty clear that not just any kind of exercise produces a noticeable immune depression<\/b>.This study really says it best. The researchers examined three groups of people: elite athletes, recreational athletes, and sedentary controls. Their results:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • The elite athletes had the most upper respiratory issues (66% got sick).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The couch potatoes were next (45% got sick).<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The recreational athletes were the healthiest (22% got sick).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    All kinds of other research has found the same thing, so exercise scientists tend to use a J-shaped curve to model the immune effects of exercise. It looks like this:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"immune<\/span><\/p>\n

    So moderate exercise is significantly better for you than no exercise at all, but there\u2019s a point where that benefit stops and over training sets in<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

    This review gets a little more specific about what kind of exercise produces the immune-suppressant response:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    • Relatively long workouts (1.5 hours or more), especially without refueling during the workout.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • A reasonably high intensity, but not excessively difficult (since you have to be able to keep it up for a while).<\/span><\/li>\n
    • An inadequate recovery period between workouts.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      So how do these factors combine to result in a post-race case of the sniffles? <\/span><\/p>\n

      There are all kinds of theories about this. It\u2019s clear that exercise does cause significant hormonal changes<\/b>. Specifically, it raises the levels of norepinephrine and cortisol, two \u201cstress hormones\u201d that tend to suppress the immune system. <\/span><\/p>\n

      The hormonal changes of exercise cause the numbers of immune cells (including leukocytes, or white blood cells) to drop immediately during and after the workout.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Exercise also decreases levels of an amino acid called glutamine, which plays an important role in the immune system. So it\u2019s reasonable to speculate that the dip in immune function might be somehow related to glutamine levels as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

      All these are completely plausible hypothesis, but we actually have very few studies conclusively linking any one of them in particular to any measurable sign of infection. And interestingly enough, in one study, a lot of the symptoms <\/i>of upper respiratory infection were not actually caused by any identifiable pathogen, suggesting that something more than the immune system is at work here.<\/span><\/p>\n

      The same review from above concludes that a variety of factors are probably responsible:<\/span><\/p>\n

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      • Airborne pathogens<\/strong>: when you run outside, you get exposed to all kinds of stuff floating around.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Physical stress on the lungs and throat<\/strong>: breathing hard (especially in extreme weather conditions) dries out the airway.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Psychological factors<\/strong>: elite athletic performance is mentally taxing, and when your brain is exhausted, you\u2019re more likely to feel sicker.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Nutrition<\/strong>: overtraining is often accompanied by underfeeding. And if your body isn\u2019t fueled right, it can\u2019t do a very good job of defending itself against anything.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        All of these stressors create perfect conditions for an infection, or just a day of feeling lousy, to take advantage of the exercise-weakened immune system.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \"tired<\/span><\/p>\n

        Diet, Exercise, and Immunity<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

        So how can you avoid a workout-induced case of the sniffles? It\u2019s pretty simple: don\u2019t overtrain, and don\u2019t undereat<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n

        Take a look at the factors that cause immune suppression (long, high-intensity workouts with inadequate recovery), and do the opposite: go for shorter workouts, less often, and make sure you\u2019re recovering sufficiently in between.<\/span><\/p>\n

        The tipping point is different for every individual, but your body will let you know when you\u2019ve gone too far \u2013 you just have to listen to it<\/span>.<\/p>\n

        If you\u2019re feeling physically or emotionally exhausted from your workouts, dreading the gym, plying yourself with coffee every morning to stagger onto the treadmill, or constantly nagged by little aches and pains that never go away\u2026you\u2019re overtraining! This article has some tips to help you diagnose a potential case of overtraining; if this is you, it might be time to take a rest week, or start incorporating more rest into your weekly routine.<\/span><\/p>\n

        But sometimes you have to (or want to) train hard. So how else can you minimize the damage<\/b>?<\/span><\/p>\n

        This article takes a hard look at the exercise-associated dip in immune function, and what kinds of dietary interventions might reasonably show promise for treating it.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Carbs are clearly essential<\/b>: immune cells need some glucose to function properly. Several studies have shown that overtraining on a low-carb diet (7-11% carbohydrate) produces a magnified change in the immune system. This just suggests what we all knew already: athletes need enough carbohydrates to keep themselves fueled properly!<\/span><\/p>\n

        Protein is also important<\/b>. But supplementation with glutamine (a specific amino acid widely thought to improve immune function) hasn\u2019t shown much benefit. It\u2019s true that glutamine levels drop with extensive endurance exercise, but the one study showing benefits from glutamine supplementation was in extreme long-distance runners (marathon and ultramarathon runners), a finding which hardly applies to most recreational athletes.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Dietary fat hasn\u2019t been studied much; the studies that do exist show no significant difference between a high-fat and medium-fat diet, although a very low-fat diet (less than 15% fat) is a bad idea<\/b>. Not that a low-fat diet was much of a risk on Paleo anyway!<\/span><\/p>\n

        Ultimately, the authors of the study concluded that \u201cevidence for a beneficial influence on immune parameters in athletes from single macronutrients is scarce and results are often inconsistent.\u201d In other words, looking for a single \u201cmagic bullet,\u201d whether it\u2019s carbs, protein, fat, or micronutrients, is misguided and unlikely to be useful.<\/span><\/p>\n

        This study backs that up on the micronutrient front: deficiency<\/i> of iron, zinc, or Vitamins A, E, B6, or B12 is associated with impaired training, but there\u2019s no evidence that high-dose supplements will give you any improvement. Once you have an adequate intake, increasing the amount just won\u2019t help.<\/span><\/p>\n

        The lesson overall: even the best diet will not save you from hitting it too hard at the gym<\/b>. If you\u2019re deficient in something (whether it\u2019s a specific vitamin or something as simple as \u201cenough calories,\u201d), you\u2019re in for double trouble, but you cannot \u201ccompensate\u201d for overtraining by just eating more or different food.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Conclusion<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

        From putting immune function under the microscope like this, we can clearly see the U-shaped benefits curve of exercise: some is good, more is not always better, and too much is very bad<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

        The types of exercise that impair immunity (very long workouts at medium-high intensity and inadequate rest days) give us a clue what to avoid<\/i> to stay healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n

        This can be hard to hear for dedicated gym-goers who are used to the no-excuses, just-do-it model of training every day whether they feel like it or not. But the evidence is clear: this\u00a0simply isn\u2019t good for you. <\/span><\/p>\n

        It\u2019s not good for your health; it\u2019s not good for your performance. So if you\u2019re constantly feeling beat-down by your workouts, or if you\u2019ve been getting sick a lot lately, try sleeping in instead: you might be surprised by how much better you feel afterward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

        This article is from paleoleap. They have very interesting articles about health and the paleo diet.<\/span><\/p>\n

        There is another site that I visited called abouthealth\u00a0and an article by Elizabeth Quinn also talks about exercise and the immune system.<\/span><\/p>\n

        This is an interesting site and has workouts, and all sorts of information about sports medicine.<\/span><\/p>\n

        I hope that this helps couch potatoes and hyper exercisers too!<\/span><\/p>\n

        Dan Fontaine<\/span><\/p>\n

        FontaineNetwork<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        HOW MUCH EXERCISE IS TOO MUCH? ASK YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM I was talking with a Doctor friend of mine recently about a Beta Glucan product and we were talking about some of the benefits this product has and the research behind it. Very impressive actually and I\u2019ve ordered some to try it out to see […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":174,"featured_media":25,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2],"tags":[8,9,10,11,12,13],"class_list":["post-5","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","category-ready-to-retire","tag-exercise","tag-exercise-and-immunity","tag-immunity","tag-immunity-and-exercise","tag-making-yourself-sick","tag-too-much-exercise"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/174"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5\/revisions\/35"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empowernetwork.com\/fontainenetwork\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}