Super fitness - low defence against illness

[JC]

I read in the newspaper this morning that excesive exercise, instead of improving the immune system, reduces it. This was apparently the reason why Richard Campbell-Smith (The Marine that died) was dead within 3 days from a scratch.

People "assume that young men exercising for up to 12 hours a day, and often at night as well, must be in the peak of physical condition and as physically highly tuned as an olympic athlete"

"However, the heavy training will have battered their immune system and their white-cell counts will have been reduced so that they are more prone to infections" - The Times

(I thought that excessive exercise would increase the immune system, not decrease it)

[Doc]

Excessive exercise does indeed reduce the immune system and as soon as you take a break its not uncommon for fit people to come down with a cold etc.

Taking multi vitamins help alongside a good diet and adequate rest between phys to allow the body to recover.

Excessive Phys is actually destroying your body, its the rest that makes it stronger and then repeating the cycle. CTC plan in rest times now to help this but is still a shock. Its unlikely the body will succumb during excessive exercise its usually when you start the rest phase.

Another excuse to eat crap and smoke like a trooper!

[JC]

Yeah, about 3 months I had been training alot harder the week before so decided to have a break, the following week i had the worst flu i ever had. I thought it was to do with some prick sneezing in my face. Last week i training oretty hard again and then this week iv been down with a cold... showing a trend

[cosmo]

this may be strange but, when i have the flu or a cold or something along those lines, the best strategy for me to get rid of it is; go running, sweat the 'illness' out of you, get back, have a bath and eat alot of vitamins, carbs and protein.

you will wake up the next day feeeeelin fineee, by ultrabeat.

it works for me.

[JC]

Yeah i can understand that cosmo, ill give that a try.

[friendlyfireaintfriendly]

I could have sworn that in the case of the young marine who died the disease had taken over his cardio system and it wasnt the fact that he was fit that caused his illness it was the fact that fitness had nothing to do with the illness so anyone would have succumbed? in general though yes fitness reduces the immune system

[JC]

Well it sure aint an obvious thing to happen

[Sarastro]

The Marine who died suffered from an antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria which produced a very rare toxin which attacks and destroys white blood cells en masse. Since white blood cells pretty much = the immune system, no amount of fitness would have helped him (the effect is similar to having full-blown AIDS except compressed into 3 days instead of years).

The point about fitness reducing the immune system is not quite correct either. In general, the fitter you are, the more you will be able to resist diseases, bacteria and so on. However, while you are under the extreme stress of BECOMING that fit, such as training at Lympstone, your immune system is reduced. Essentially it's comparable to overtraining - training will result in better fitness performance, but if you overtrain your performance is temporarily reduced.

[the_trainee]

RIP Richard campbell smith

[GGHT]

Months ago when I was well into weightlifting and did practically no cardio, I was practically never ill. Last weekend however I came down with a terrible stomach bug and was no doubt the illest I've been for years.

But my day to day feeling of weel being is better and I suppose that's what counts.

[themattmeister]

Generally speaking along with super fitness comes low levels of body fat this will also increase chances of illness.

As far as running stuff off goes it is alright if you have the sniffels but don't do it if you have a chest or throat infection it will mess you up and just make you worse.

[JC]

Generally speaking along with super fitness comes low levels of body fat this will also increase chances of illness.

As far as running stuff off goes it is alright if you have the sniffels but don't do it if you have a chest or throat infection it will mess you up and just make you worse.