Issue 085

February 2012

How to avoid colds and flu this winter

Rosi Sexton is a leading professional fighter, sports therapist and registered osteopath.

It’s every fighter’s nightmare. You’ve got a big fight coming up. You’ve trained hard for it, made sacrifices, taken time off work. Training’s been going well, you’re feeling in amazing shape. And then, with a week to go before the fight – you get sick. Maybe it’s bad enough to put you out of the fight straight away; but sometimes you’re faced with a dilemma. Do you go ahead with it, despite feeling terrible, and risk losing a fight you should have won, or do you pull out?

Fighters want to do everything they can to avoid being in this situation. Many turn to supplements – from echinacea to traditional Chinese medicine. Unfortunately, evidence for the effectiveness of many ‘immune boosting’ nutritional remedies is thin on the ground.

There’s an interesting link between exercise and the immune system. It seems that getting some exercise is good for it; but intense training actually has the opposite effect. Overtraining goes hand in hand with colds and respiratory tract infections… In other words, athletes who are training hard for competition can be vulnerable to illness at the worst possible time. Being in close contact with lots of other people in the gym increases the risk, especially during cold and flu season.

So, what should you do? First, make sure you’ve considered basic hygiene. Washing your hands regularly and showering straight after training will help to reduce your chances of picking up a stray virus. Don’t share drinks bottles with anyone – put your name on yours, and guard it closely. Equally, shared towels or training kit (including ear guards and joint supports) can be a source of hidden germs.

Consuming carbohydrate is pretty effective at reducing the training-related drop in immune function – something often avoided by fighters when cutting weight. To reduce your chances of getting ill, plan your weight loss carefully, so you’re not starving yourself during the fight camp, and always have some carbohydrate straight after training – perhaps in a post-workout shake.

Of the nutritional supplements, glutamine is one of the more promising. There is some

research suggesting that it may help to reduce the effects of intense training on the immune system. Typical doses range from 5–20g per day, and some studies have used even larger amounts. 

Probiotics are also a hot topic at the moment. These supplements contain “friendly bacteria” that have a beneficial effect on the health of the digestive system, and are most familiar in the form of the probiotic yoghurt drinks that are available in most supermarkets. Some studies have found that athletes taking a probiotic daily are less likely to suffer from respiratory tract infections – although the exact mechanisms remain unclear. Vitamin D is another one to watch. It’s naturally produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight. There is an increasing amount of evidence connecting vitamin D with various aspects of immune function, and suggesting that many of us may not have enough of it. If you have a vitamin D deficiency, then supplementing it

may help.

If you have an important fight coming up, then consider getting a flu vaccination. They are readily available for a small charge at your local pharmacy. Although it won’t protect against other illnesses such as colds, it does reduce your risk of getting a bad case of flu that could knock you out for weeks. Make sure you do this well before the fight though – many people feel a little unwell for a few days afterwards (although it’s a myth that it can actually give you the flu), and it can take a couple of weeks for your immune system to respond and give you full protection. Even if you had a flu jab last year (or actually had flu), it’s important to get this year’s vaccine as the common strains of the virus change from one year to the next, making last year’s protection out of date.

Finally, it may be that one of the most effective things you can do to help your immune system is to get a good night’s sleep. In one study, participants who were exposed to a cold virus were three times less likely to get sick if they were getting more than eight hours a sleep a night, compared to those getting seven hours or less. Quality of sleep was also important; participants were less likely to get ill when they got unbroken sleep rather than waking up several times a night. 

So, first things first. Before spending your money on fancy supplements, make sure you’re getting the basics right. Eat and sleep well, and keep your hands and gear clean.