Effects of Nutritional Interventions on Exercise-Induced Immune Function Disturbances in Endurance Athletes

Abstract

Endurance sports are important physiologic stress sources and can cause attenuation of the immune system. Especially during the period following long-term moderate/heavy exercise, it is reported that an athlete’s susceptibility to infections increases. Although athletes have become more interested in nutrition strategies to maintain immune system adequacy and to prevent diseases in the recent years, current evidence supports only the favorable effects of frequent consumption of carbohydrates during long term exercises on immune response. It is a well-known fact that an adequate and balanced diet is the key point in maintaining immune functions of an athlete. More studies are needed in order to show the possible effects of other nutrients and bioactive diet components on the maintenance exercise-induced immun function disturbances in endurance athletes.