Lecture 10 Nutrition and Immune Function Flashcards
The immune System has two broad functions:
Innate
Adaptive
Innate is:
natural or nonspecific immunity
Adaptive is:
acquired or specific immunity
Innate is the body’s ____ _____ _____ ______
The attempt of an infectious agent to enter the body immediately does what?
first line of defence
immediately activates the innate immune system
Innate Immunity comprises of three general mechanisms that have the common goal of restricting microorganism into the body:
Physical or structural barriers
Chemical barriers
Phagocytic cells
Adaptive Immunity
Failure of what activates the adaptive immune system, which does what?
failure of the innate system
aids recovery from infection
Adaptive immunity is helped greatly by what?
This engenders what?
T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocyte acquisition of receptors that recognize the foreign molecules (called antigens)
specificity and memory that enable the immune system to mount and augmented response when the host is reinfected by the same pathogen (this is the basis of vaccination with an attenuates virus)
The introduction of an infectious agent to the body initiates what? which augments the response of the immune system
inflammatory response
Inflammation and the Immune Response to Infection
The immune response itself varies according to what?
the nature of the infectious agent (parasitic, bacterial, fungal, or viral)
The key player in immune response is what?
the macrophage
What does the macrophage do?
It expresses toll-like receptors on its cell surface. TRLs detect the presence of certain molecules that are present on the surface of microorganisms and initiate an immune response to destroy potentially harmful invaders
Factors that contribute to illness in athletes
Two main causes of illness in athletes:
Increased exposure to pathogens
Too much stress for the athlete
What is the main difference between overreaching and overtraining?
length of time
What is the most common illness in athletes?
URTI
(Upper Respiratory tract infection)
URTIs are caused by?
viruses not bacteria
During exercise, what hormones are released?
Stress hormones are secreted. This plus increased exposure to pathogens and increased physiological stress will further decrease immune system function
Exercise and Infection: J curve
How do you draw it?
Y axis: Risk Upper respiratory tract infection (Below average, Average, Above Average)
X-axis: Amount and intensity of exercise (sedentary, Moderate, Very High)
What occurs with an increase in strenuous exercise?
reduction in leukocytes (white blood cells), cytokines, increase in inflammation
Athletes can also develop similar symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, dry cough) from an allergy or inflammation affecting what?
the mucosal lining of the upper respiratory tract caused by the inhalation of cold, dry, or polluted air
Other common illness in athlete is an increase in gut permeability. What does this mean?
This can increase bad bacteria that is able to be secreted from the gut
T or F
Food Intolerance is not associated with the immune system
T
Nutrition and Immune Function
The poor nutritional status may predispose athletes to what?
immunodepression
Inadequate nutrition
Low carbohydrate intake can do what?
can affect hormonal responses
Dehydration can do what?
athlete’s dehydrated decrease the rate where your body is able to send nutrients to damaged tissues
Micronutrient deficiencies can do what?
micronutrients help activate t-lymphocytes and b-lymphocytes. Micronutrients are very important for your immune system
What happens with a low-carb diet and exercise?
decrease in glutamine level where glutamine plays a role in immune function
increases production in stress hormone (cortisol) and cytokines which is known to negatively affect immune function
An adequate intake of which micronutrients is particularly important?
iron
zinc
vitamin B
vitamin C
vitamin E
Iron generates what that can help increase training adaptations that occur with exercise?
ROS
Zinc acts as what that helps the immune system attack viruses?
anti-viral component
B vitamins do what?
help increase energy metabolism
What is the very important amino acid for immune function?
glutamine
Supplements that may benefit immunity and reduce risks of infection if taken regularly in sufficient doses?
Probiotics
Plant polyphenols
Bovine colostrum
Vitamin D3
Why probiotics?
beneficial bacteria found in your GI tract
Probiotics help you have a health balance of bacteria in your gut, this helps immune function
Why Plant Polyphenols?
Found in fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds and is known for anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant capabilities
Can also promote generation of probiotics
These both help immune function
remember, what does anti-oxidants do?
Help decrease ROS that is created from reactions when you exercise
Why Bovine colostrum?
it is milk that is found in humans after birth, also referred to as “liquid gold.
Also milk found in cows. Help immune function as it transfers nutrients to consumer
Why vitamin D3?
Most absorbed form of vitamin D
What should an athlete do during training and leading up to training?
should ingest carbohydrates during training.
Should also have a high carb-diet leading into exercise
Carbohydrate ingestion during exercise does not counteract glutamine level drops, but living with a high carbohydrate diet will help your body avoid glutamine level drops and therefore help immune function decrements.
Should also eat fruits and veggie (polyphenols), yogurt (probiotics), vitamin B, D.
What can an athlete do to help stimulate immune system?
- carbohydra during exercise
- carb loading
- hydration (dehydration means your body will struggle transporting nutrients to where they need to go)
- iron (help stimulate t-lymphocyte and b-lymphocyte)
- zinc is needed to be replenished as it is sweated)
- vitamin B,C,E
