2015 SCSEPF Conference How to minimize infection risk in athletes? Prof Dr Tzai-Li Li National Taiwan Sport University leej@ntsu.edu.tw SPORTING CAMPUS 2 Outline Do elite athletes have a better immunity? Brief introduction to the immune system Exercise and the risk of infection? How does heavy exercise affect immunity? How to prevent infection? 1
3 Elite athletes with better immunity? 4 New Asian Queen of ultra-marathon 2
5 What s happened? 6 Outline Do elite athletes have a better immunity? Brief introduction to the immune system Exercise and the risk of infection? How does heavy exercise affect immunity? How to prevent infection? 3
7 Normal circulation 8 Inflammation 4
9 Acute inflammation 10 Mechanisms against infections 5
11 White blood cells 12 Immunity 6
13 Cellular immunity 14 Humoral immunity 7
15 The Th1/Th2 cytokine balance 16 Outline Do elite athletes have a better immunity? Brief introduction to the immune system Exercise and the risk of infection? How does heavy exercise affect immunity? How to prevent infection? 8
17 Are athletes susceptible to infection? Respiratory infections seemed to progress toward pneumonia after intense exercise and competitive sport (Cowles, 1918). Some athletes experience high rates of certain illness, such as infectious Mononucleosis (Foster et al. 1982) Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI; e.g. common cold, sore throat, middle ear infection) (Douglas and Hason 1978). 18 Is URTI popularly happened in athletes? Up to 47% during the two weeks after a 56-km ultramarathon (Peter and Bateman 1983) 40% of marathon runners in the two months before and 12% of runners in the week after a marathon (Nieman et al 1990) 68% of runners after a 90-km ultramarathon (Peters et al. 1993) 50% of runners in the week after a marathon (Castell et al. 1996) 40% of elite swimmers during four weeks of intensified training (Mackinnon and Hopper 1996). 9
19 Athletes & better immunity? _ 1 Runners reporting URTI symptoms 15 12.9 12 9 % 6 3 2.2 0 Control Runners Percentage of runners reporting episodes of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) during the week after the 1987 Los Angeles Marathon (Nieman et al. 1990) 20 Athletes & better immunity? _ 2 Training load & relative risk of URTI Rate ratio for URTI 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0.0 2 1.4 1.35 1.45 1.45 1 <32 32-47 48-63 64-79 80-96 >96 km/week in 2 months prior to marathon Training load (running disstance per week) and relative risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in the two months prior to the 1987 Los Angeles Marathon (Nieman et al. 1990) 10
21 Regular moderate Ex & URTI? _ 1 Observational study Number 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Exercisers (n=53) 26 Stretchers (n=62) 19 15 13 11 3 2 2 0 1 2 3 No. of colds reported over 12 months Exerciser and stretchers reporting either 0, 1, 2 or 3 episodes of cold infection over the 12-month observation period (Chubak et al. 2006) 22 Regular moderate Ex & URTI? _ 2 Observational study 10 Physical fitness Exercise frequency 8 Days with URS 6 4 2 * * * * 0 Low Medium High Total number of days with upper respiratory symptoms (URS) over the 12-week observation period across physical fitness and exercise frequency tertile (Nieman et al. 2011) 11
23 Regular moderate Ex & URTI? _ 3 Moderate exercise training and URTI No. of days with URTI symptoms 12 9 6 3 0 * Exercise group control group The number of days with symptoms of URTI in a group of mildly obese, young women randomly assigned to either 15 weeks on moderate exercise training or no exercise. The exercise group participated in brisk walking training for 45 min, 5 days a week at 60% HRR. (Nieman et al. 1990) 24 Regular moderate Ex & URTI? _ 4 Regular PA and URTI risk URTI rate ratio 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Men <3.93 3.94-7.15 7.16-11.95 11.96 Women <2.38 2.39-4.09 4.10-6.24 6.25 Activity level (MET-h/day) Relative risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) across habitual physical activity quartiles (Matthews et al. 2002) 12
25 Regular moderate Ex & URTI? _ 5 EX and immune responses Cumulative skin test score 25 20 15 10 5 0 * Triathletes competed Triathletes uncompeted Regulare Exercisers The cumulative skin test score in a group of triathletes following a triathlon race, and, a group of triathletes who did not compete in the race and a group of moderately trainined individuals (Bruunsgaard et al. 1997) 26 J-shaped model _ EX & URTI risk Above average Risk of URTI Average Below average Sedentary Moderate Very high Amount of exercise Nieman, D. C. (1994). International Journal of Sports Medicine, 15: S131-S141. 13
27 S-shaped model _ PA/EX load & URTI Risk of URTI Above average Average Below average Sedentary Moderate High Elite Activity level/exercise load Malm, C. (2006). Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 16: 4-6 28 Outline Do elite athletes have a better immunity? Brief introduction to the immune system Exercise and the risk of infection? How does heavy exercise affect immunity? How to prevent infection? 14
29 Factors contribute to incidence _ 1 Prolonged (> 90 minutes) hard bouts of exercise may depress immune function Blood glucose Muscle glycogen Interleukin-6 Stress hormones Free radicals Depression of immune cell functions Increased risk of infection 30 Factors contribute to incidence _ 2 Factors contributing to increased susceptibility to infection in athletes Physiological stress Increased exposure Psychological stress to pathogens Environmental stress Lung ventilation Lack of sleep Skin abrasions Inappropriate Diet Foreign travel Crowds Increased susceptibility to infection Immunodepression 15
31 Open window hypothesis EX stop Recovery Moderate Exercise exercise Risk of URTI decreased Intense Heavy prolonged Exercise exercise Open window Risk of URTI increased Pedersen, B. K. (1999). In Psychoneuroimmunology: An interdisciolinary introduction. pp.341-358. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. 32 How long is the window opened? _ 1 Li, T. L. & Cheng, P. Y. (2007). European Journal of Applied Physiology, 101: 539-546 16
33 How long is the window opened? _ 2 Li, T. L. & Cheng, P. Y. (2007). European Journal of Applied Physiology, 101: 539-546 34 How long is the window opened? _ 3 Li, T. L. & Cheng, P. Y. (2007). European Journal of Applied Physiology, 101: 539-546 17
35 Outline Do elite athletes have a better immunity? Brief introduction to the immune system Exercise and the risk of infection? How does heavy exercise affect immunity? How to prevent infection? 36 Does acute illness affect performance? In athletes, decrements in performance have been associated with Subclinical viral infection and prolonged recovery after viral infection (Maffulli et al. 1993) Aerobic exercise capacity during prolonged submaximal work (Danial et al, 1985) Muscular strength (Danial et al, 1985; Friman et al. 1977). Protein degradation and impairments of protein synthesis or energy metabolism during illness may limit exercise capacity as well as long-term adaptations to exercise training (Friman and Ilback 1992). 18
37 Are there practical considerations? Illness needs time to recover. Impaired strength and exercise capacity during viral infection may lead to musculoskeletal injury in athletes who attempt to continue training at high intensity during illness (Simon 1987). Viral illness with systemic involvement (e.g. fatigue, fever, muscle aches, enlarged lymph nodes) requires one month for complete recovery before resumption to intense training (Roberts 1986). Above the neck rule (Budgett 1990). Symptoms above the neck: continue EX and reduce workload Symptoms below the neck: stop EX 38 How to prevent infection? _ 1 Avoid sick people Awareness of vulnerability Minimise infectious agents Good personal hygiene Avoid getting a dry mouth Never share drink bottles 19
39 How to prevent infection? _ 2 Avoid training > 2 h 6%CHO drinks 2.5ml/kg/20min Minimize immunosuppression Monitor mood fatigue & soreness Balanced diet Adequate sleep > 7 h 40 How to prevent infection? _ 3 EX tolerance is reduced Isolate infected team member Training & infection Increase severity duration Decrease training volume Above the neck principle 20
41 Jackson score URTI questionnaire _ 1 How to fill in URTI questionnaire Do you think that you are suffering from a common cold or flu today? Fill in the circle if your answer is YES If yes, please complete all the questions below: Please indicate your response by filling in one circle for each of the following symptoms: How to interpret No symptom=0, mild symptom=1, moderate symptom=2, severe symptom=3 First criterion: any consecutive two-day total symptom score > 14. Second criterion: fill the first circle 3 consecutive days. 42 Jackson score URTI questionnaire _ 2 21
2015 SCSEPF Conference 感謝聆聽 Q & A Prof Dr Tzai-Li Li National Taiwan Sport University leej@ntsu.edu.tw SPORTING CAMPUS 22