However, there is something else that highly conditioned athletes should be aware of. Strenuous physical exertion, the kind that elite players experience every day whether running, hitting, lifting, rowing or whatever, can drag down the body’s immune defense response, leaving a sports star more vulnerable than normal to getting sick.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association has a very good paper on this topic, summarizing how moderate exercise can actually improve immune health, but highly vigorous exercise can lead to oxidative stress in the body that promotes inflammation and greater susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).

The paper explains the role of cytokins, proteins that facilitate signals between various cells and systems of the body and are also involved in inflammatory signaling. “Normally, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels are counterbalanced by anti-inflammatory cytokine levels promoting homeostasis; however if levels are unrestrained, incidences of post exercise infection may occur . It is important to note that although excess, unresolved inflammation can cause tissue damage and/or infection, it is a physiologically necessary component to properly functioning innate immunity. Therefore, the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is crucial in maintaining proper immune function.”

If the coach won’t let an athlete balance their workout load — can you say “three-a-days?”– at least doing everything reasonable to help balance the immune system is one way to potentially reduce the chance of getting sick from overexertion.

First, I grabbed the heavy rake and pulled up dead grass from my lawn. That was back-breaker, not to mention a forearm breaker. Next day I played my first round of golf of the season. Then I proceeded to three days of disc golf, where I wreaked havoc on my left throwing shoulder. It was probably totally stupid for me to be putting that kind of pressure on my shoulder with no stretching warm-ups, or no resistance training  in the “off season.”

Bottom line: I was sore immediately after each activity, no doubt. But each night and the next day after, I had no real pain or stiffness at all. Is my nutritionally supplemented immune system in fightin’ shape so as to minimize muscle and joint inflammation after physical exertion?

Dr. Stuart Reeves

Wanna experience one of the most beneficial half hours of your life? Listen to Embria Health Science’s Stuart Reeves as he is interviewed about immune balance on a Latrobe, PA radio station.  Stuart hits the big points on immune health and quality of life, from colds and flu to stress and travel  to extreme exercise vs. moderate exercise. He also gives some great detail on how EpiCor is produced

Click here for the interview.

It seems that Windows Media Player works well for this.  If you need to grab it for your machine, download it here.

Several incidents have emerged in Central Florida:

And in the Pittsburgh area and the U.K. It seems schools are prime areas for spreading MRSA though skin to skin contact (wrestling and other contact sports) and shared surfaces: shower rooms, towels, etc.  

My reason for writing about this not to alarm anyone, just to provide a little new info to anyone who hadn’t really heard about this.

Also, it’s worth noting that, conceptually, a balanced immune system, which attacks high-threat microbial intruders early and forcefully (while also letting harmless ones pass on by), could be an effective approach in possibly reducing risk of serious problems from MRSA. There is no published research I know of that posits any proof of specific MRSA containment by virtue of immune balancing supplementation, but, as Dr. Reeves at Embria pointed out to me, whether it’s a simple cold virus or an MRSA bacterium, the fundamental model of efficient, balanced immune defense should prevail.