Work hard but rest hard Chronic overtraining and the immune system

Most people into health and fitness usually conform to two trains of thought.

1. 1.     They under train and never really see results and then usually don’t adhere to a program for more than three months at a time. (weekend warrior)
2. Then we have the hard core trainers, the “go big or go home” kind of guys!    They’re who this article pertains to the most! Although the 1-3 times a week exerciser is not totally immune to the effects of over-training!

  Many of us train 5-6 hours plus per week and are called athletic and are the most susceptible to immune system dysfunction due to high levels of stress. Remember, stress is stress; the body does not distinguish between the different types.  It only adds to the overall level of negative reactions to it.

I often tell my clients “there is a very fine line between enough exercise and too much!” There is a growing amount of research indicating that over-training is becoming a significant problem in those that think more is better!

  According to a recent Ball State University study on endurance training, athletes proved that rest and recovery is critical to optimal performance in training and competition.  Those at higher risk of over-training are endurance athletes or athletes that combine endurance training and strength training.  These individuals are usually multi-facet athletes.  Sprinters, swimmers, cyclists and fitness professionals who have livelihood commitments attached to their training.

This topic was thoroughly explored at the world's largest fitness convention; IDEA (International Dance and Exercise Association) in San Francisco, CA.  IDEA is a founding organization for fitness professionals and represents over 19,000 members, 60 countries worldwide.

  
In the last few years, IDEA as well as other governing bodies for fitness professionals has recognized the need for awareness of exercise and its relationship to over training and illness. This awareness is in pursuit of educating the public on the proper use of training as a tool for health benefits, and as a word of caution for athletes as well.

The lecture at the conference provided mounting evidence that supports the deterioration of physical, chemical and cell barriers when athletes or avid exercisers become over trained. These negative effects are on the antibodies found in the bone marrow, which are a direct threat to our ability to sustain long-term wellness. Also affected are cytotoxins, which mediate bacterial and viral defense. The damage of these antibodies has a direct effect on our ability to kick a viral or bacterial infection, and even avoid illness such as cancer!

  
  Those at high risk of over training and becoming subject to possible cell damage can be endurance training athletes or those who take part in heavy cardiovascular training. There is a short window of opportunity when the immune response is low. This is the time when antibody production is decreased because the body is under physical stress and as a result, acute or chronic infections can occur.

The window of opportunity is 1 to 4 hours post endurance training. At this time, white blood cells have decreased and do not come back up above normal until 8 to 12 hours post training. Illnesses that occur during this window of opportunity are most often upper and lower respiratory tract and viral infections. These infections can be either acute or chronic (long term or reoccurring).

  
  Over trained athletes or avid exercisers commonly suffer from above the neck infections such as a common cold or respiratory tract infection that linger. It is critical for athletes and avid exercisers to understand the signs of over training and the benefits of rest during illness or post training recovery.

Signs of over training are all too familiar to well-trained athletes, however, most of the time these signs are ignored. In addition, these athletes are often under the direct supervision of professionals that write their training schedules, which protects the athlete.

These include:

• ·        Lack of motivation that lingers for days.

• ·        You feel especially sore following a big workout.

• ·        You stop seeing results.

• ·        You become restless and lose focus.

• ·        You feel sluggish all day, extreme fatigue.

• ·        Chronic soreness in your joints, bones and limbs.

• ·        You’re sick more often and colds and flu etc. tend to linger.

  Most individuals that take part in rigorous exercise are unable to recognize these signs and therefore are unable to monitor their own warning signs. These signs also include an increase in resting heart rate. One may also notice their training heart rate zone will be reached much sooner into a training period unless altitude is a factor.

Researchers based in Japan have recently looked at the effects of repeated rugby matches on immune function, to help them evaluate the cumulative effects of consecutive bouts of high intensity exercise (‘Effects of rugby sevens matches on human neutrophil-related non-specific immunity’, British Journal of Sports Medicine2007; 41:13-18). Rugby is arguably one of the most intense contact sports, requiring a high level of physical preparation. Rugby sevens is played on a normal- sized pitch and as the name implies, each team consists of seven players. It is not unreasonable therefore to conclude that these players have a potentially higher exercise loading than their counterparts who compete in normal rugby matches.

  The research team monitored members of the Japanese sevens squad during the course of one day, when they had to play two competitive matches with just four hours’ break in between each match. Blood samples were taken immediately before and after each match: blood lactate measurements clearly showed that the matches were intense enough to induce muscle damage and fatigue. Further blood analysis showed that the counts of neutrophils (the immune system’s white blood cells that do a lot of micro-damage clearance) had a tendency to decrease after the first match, and increased significantly four to six hours later.

  This is good news: the neutrophils were doing their job, increasing in number, running around the body engulfing micro-organisms and preventing infection. The problems started after the second match. The researchers found no significant changes in neutrophil counts, suggesting that the repetition of intense exercise had reduced the neutrophil inflammatory reaction, and that recovery from physical damage was compromised for as long as 24 hrs!

Ongoing research has suggested that high-intensity training (exceeding 90% VO Max, or near exhaustion) is generally followed by an immune system crash. Lasting anywhere from 3 to 72 hours depending on the person in question, many experts believe that there are several factors that contribute to this period of vulnerability.

  Dr. Mark Jenkins, associate team physician for Rice University states that more than one component of the immune system may be weakened by excessive training -- for example, by more than 90 minutes of intense exercise. These include changes in the number and function of immune system cells, such as white blood cells, antibodies, and pro- and anti-inflammatory bio-chemicals such as cytokines.
During the 3 to 72 hours following an overly intense workout, there may be an "open window" during which "viruses and bacteria may gain a foothold, increasing the risk of subclinical and clinical infection. Thus, risk of upper respiratory tract infections can increase when athletes push beyond normal limits," according to Jenkins. Also, training while sick is just as bad as the immune system response to the training (reparation) is decreased due to its need to fight of the infection!

  
 Here's the bottom line. If you're looking for an edge, you're going to have to face the fact that, at some point, your training will eventually graduate to a level that can take a serious toll on the body. More is not always better and listening to your body and how you feel is as important as the actual exercise program itself!

Train hard but rest hard as well. Eat well, sleep well and if you’re stressed out at work or at home etc; it might be a good idea to decrease the intensity, volume and or the amount of sessions of your training until things get better!

PJM.

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