The immune system needs to be taken care of during high intensity training to ensure proper health of the individual. Here I will talk about what supports our immune system and what types of supplements are associated with this maintenance.

There seems to be a big debate over what effect exercise has on the body's ferociously hard working immune system. Some argue that it helps strengthens the immune system, while others will spend hours telling you how damaging it can be.

Unfortunately, the answer isn't always as crystal clear as we might expect it to be. Because in all actuality, both sides are correct. Intense, balls to the wall, full fatigue training, especially while ill or injured, can make it very difficult for the immune system to perform its normal, day-to-day defense duties.

In retrospect, light anaerobic exercise can actually strengthen the body's response to stress and inflammation. In order to better understand what takes place at the body's cellular defense level, it's important to have a brief understanding of the immune system on a functional level. Let's examine.


The Immune System


The immune system is a highly complex system of organs (lymph nodes) and cells (lymphocytes) that works, essentially, by seeking and destroying anything foreign that enters the body. It is so complex, mind you, that it even has its own dedicated system of circulation, the lymphatic vessels.

Lymph nodes are housed strategically throughout the body, and serve as the checkpoint for fluids that carry lymphocytes—cells that patrol the body for potential threats in the form of bacteria, virus and fungi. Without taking things to a level that's far too complicated, let's just say that there are two main classes of lymphocytes:

T-cells
B-cells
B-Cells:

B-cells reach their full maturity within the body's bone marrow reserves, and produce antibodies that travel throughout the lymphatic vessels and bloodstream. When they encounter a foreign substance, they attach themselves to said invader, marking it for later destruction by another type of immune system lymphocyte—NK cells, or simply natural killer cells.

T-Cells:

T-cells are regulatory in function, meaning that they serve as a biological dispatch unit for B-cells. Here's one way to look at it. If a T-cell spots a foreign substance before a B-cell does, it will immediately send a signal to the B-cell, informing it that something needs to be checked out. The B-cell responds by visiting the tissue in question, and marking it for destruction after an instantaneous evaluation.

Cytotoxic "Killer" T cells (CD8+) destroy infected cells. These cells function as "killer" or cytotoxic cells because they are able to destroy target cells which express specific antigens that they recognize.
Helper T cells (CD4+) are "middlemen" in the immune response. When they get activated, they proliferate and secrete cytokines that regulate or "help" effector lymphocyte function. They are known as one of the targets of HIV infection, and the decrease of CD4+ T cells results in AIDS. Some helper T cells secrete cytokines that turn off the immune response once an antigen has been eliminated from the body.
Suppressor T cells (also known as regulatory T cells) suppress activation of the immune system and maintain immune system homeostasis. Failure of regulatory T cells to function properly may result in autoimmune diseases in which the immunocytes attack healthy cells in the body.


Microphages:

In addition, T-cells can create microphages and scavenger cells that scour the body looking for foreign substances in need of a smackdown. Once identifying them, these cellular hitmen reign fury on the threatening cell and all goes back to normal. Keep in mind that this explanation has been drastically simplified, as the immune system is incredibly specialized. It would be effortless to spend hours discussing its core method of operation, detailed functions, affected systems and specialized role in human health.


The Immune System & High Intensity Training


Any athlete who has had a bout with the flu, an infection or other immune challenging stint, will be the first to tell you what a toll it can take on their training. What we fail to realize is that heavy training, all on its own, can do as much short term damage to their immune system as those conditions mentioned above.

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.

By now, we've all heard stories and seen commercials that center around the stress hormone cortisol. But keep something in mind—high-intensity training is one of most stressful situations the body will ever encounter. Billions of chemical reactions are firing, and hormone levels are all over the place.

Oxygen usage skyrockets, and the massive influx of lactic acid forces the body to pull alkaline reserves from bones and other mineral dense sources. ATP reserves get drained, muscle tissues are ripping and tearing and forcing other systems to respond in the form of repair and energy output.


All of this commotion can send even the most responsive immune system into a to lunatic-inspired frenzy that the immune system has a very difficult time keeping up with.

Scary huh? And to think that this internal madness has been going on every time you train. But rather than throw in the towel or scale things down, I believe that we can take some simple supplemental measures to ensure that our bodies are prepared for, and well-fueled after the onslaught that follows a madman session in the gym. Done properly, and coupled with smart training tactics, these tactics can help keep your immune system from throwing in a towel of its own.