The practice of intense physical activity, whether being done by professional or amateur athletes, can cause some diseases. It is the body reacting to low immunity.
According to Endocrinologist and partner of our Blog, Dr. Saliha Mello, “There is no specific symptom of low immunity. What we usually see in our daily clinical practice are individuals apparently healthy, i.e., without any chronic disease, but with recurrent infections, such as colds, flu, sinusitis, pneumonia, among others. In women, the main complaints related to the fall of immunity are vaginal candidiasis (an imbalance of vaginal flora) and urinary tract infection. Herpes viruses are also common in these cases. In addition to hair loss, unexplained fatigue and brittle nails. “
Since those are symptoms found in several other pathologies (diseases), we need a doctor to evaluate whether they are the results of an immunodeficiency or something else. And, for sure, do not try self-medication.
And here comes the question: what are we doing wrong? What can cause low immunity? Dr. Mello says that we are not always guilty. It can occur as a body’s response to chronic diseases such as diabetes, lupus and its treatment, HIV, rheumatic diseases in general, cancer chemotherapy, emotional stress, poor diet, sleep deprivation, abuse of alcohol and other drug use, or simply by excessive exercise.
But wait: practicing sports will not lower your immunity. However, overtraining and excess of physical activities, in general, can contribute to a drop in the body’s defense system.
That’s why the fall of immunity is observed more often in high-performance athletes, such as marathon runners and triathletes. But nothing prevents practitioners of other modalities to have, at some point, an immunosuppression.
The sprinters, generally, do not need to worry. However, the long distance runners, who run half marathon or a full marathon, for example, need to be alert to body signals.
“What happens is that, whatever the exercise is, it will cause a breakdown of muscle fibers that are later regenerated during rest. In the case of long-distance runners, who exercise at high intensity for longer periods, this degradation of muscle protein is much higher. In addition, the energy cost is also high and most of the body’s metabolism is directed to supplement and to regenerate those muscles”.
Summing up:
Protein degradation in large quantities, plus lack of energy supply to muscles, plus the absence of protein for antibody production equals to the fall of immunity.
Nevertheless, you should know that food can be a great ally in these cases. Is your diet adequate to the amount of exercise you do, especially in macro and micronutrients?
A healthy body needs many nutrients to maintain their vital functions.
There is no magic! Following this reasoning, you can include in your diet some foods such as: Garlic, citrus fruits, broccoli (it contains vitamins B and D, and glutamine); Acai, oilseeds (almonds and walnuts) and goji berry; Green, white or black teas (which have flavonoids and isoflavones, which fight free radicals from the body);
Spinach (which besides having antioxidants is also rich in vitamin C);
Watermelon and red fruits in general (they have glutathione, which is a potent substance that stimulates the immune system);
Plus some supplements to ensure smaller muscle degradation, or the regeneration of the fastest fibers (supplements suggestion: BCAA, arginine, whey, among others).
Do not forget to make a checkup with your doctor and notify the frequency of illness, so that he or she can investigate the causes and treat the focus of the problem.
A tip from Dr. Mello for women who have vaginal candidiasis and recurrent urinary tract infection:
Try to wear comfortable mesh panties and avoid daily internal absorbents (except in special cases, obviously). Also avoid staying too long sweaty or wet, and with tight- fitting clothing. And, please, do not go without urinating for a long time!!!
As to the practice of physical activity, the body needs, wants and likes it! But if you get sick or are sick, respect your body! Having a time to rest and sleep is as important as working out! Do not exceed your own limits. Your body may be trying to get rid of a disease, and if you do not respect it, a badly cured infection can become a chronic, serious and dangerous disease.
The ideal thing is to be always aware of what the body is saying!
Kisses!
