3 Tips to Boost Immunity in Athletes

Probiotics increase the biodiversity of the intestinal flora, which positively affects immune function. In this article, discover other ways to boost immunity in athletes.

Exercise can protect you from complex and infectious diseases. This is because physical activity helps boost immunity. However, some nutritional strategies can enhance this effect, which may help avoid infectious conditions and, with this, boost the number of athletes’ training sessions per year.

To boost immunity in athletes, you need to consider the importance of a varied diet. The strategies we outline below will be useless if you don’t take this into account.

It’s essential to guarantee the consumption of fruits and vegetables, as well as your protein intake. In turn, you should avoid toxic habits, such as drinking alcohol, and you should only consume processed foods occasionally.

Probiotics to boost immunity in athletes

The intestinal flora is an independent organ. Thus, it’s capable of modulating metabolism and nutrient absorption. Also, it plays a very important role in immunity.

Thus, intestinal conditions, such as dysbiosis or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), can affect the individual’s defenses and allow the development of diseases.

To reverse this process, the consumption of probiotic foods or supplements is recommended, as is stated in an article published in the journal Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins.

To choose a probiotic supplement, you need to take a few considerations into account. The probiotic you choose should contain a single strain and 10(9) CFU. In addition, its effects must have been tested in clinical studies. However, you can also boost your immunity by regularly consuming fermented products, such as yogurt or kefir.

Vitamin C: a way to boost immunity in athletes

Vitamin C contains antioxidants that compete with glucose when it comes to entering cells. This means that athletes who consume a lot of sugar require higher doses than a sedentary individual.

In doses higher than those recommended by the WHO, this nutrient is related to a reduced risk of infectious diseases. An example is the common cold, as vitamin C exerts a protective effect over it, according to a study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.

To guarantee its intake, experts recommend regular consumption of plant foods, such as red peppers, strawberries, or citrus fruits. In some cases, they may recommend supplementation.

Guarantee zinc intake

Zinc is a mineral found in low quantities in the body. Animal foods and nuts are some of the main sources of zinc. This mineral performs many bodily functions, from mediating the production of some hormones to promoting immune system functioning.

Thus, a poor zinc intake is associated with increased fatigue and an increased risk of infectious diseases. For this reason, it’s essential for you to get enough zinc.

To do this, you should eat meat regularly. Organ meats are the richest in this mineral, although lean cuts also contain a significant amount of it.

Optimizing your diet boosts your immunity

Ultimately, some dietary adjustments are required to boost immunity in athletes. In addition, exercise and proper nutrition also stimulate immune function. Likewise, it’s possible to include some strategies, such as those we mentioned in this article, to increase the effectiveness of this very important system.

At present, experts consider probiotics one of the most effective ways to improve bodily function in many ways. Several strains have been shown to stimulate immune function in several clinical trials.

For this reason, experts recommend consuming them, both through supplements and fermented products. In addition, we need to emphasize that regular fiber contribution also improves microbiota quality from fermentation, which is beneficial for this organ.

Finally, it’s a good idea to monitor the intake of other nutrients, such as vitamin C and zinc, in order to meet the body’s needs and stimulate immune system function.