You’re enjoying your training, so much so you catch yourself enthused enough to frequently test your upper limits. You sense improvements in performance and confidence. <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/girl.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2670 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/girl.jpg" alt="girl" width="169" height="135" /></a>And, while these workouts are relatively hard, there’s something magic and rewarding about blowing your doors off.

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<em><strong><span style="color: #008080;">Then.....</span></strong></em>

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You sense something has gone wrong. A sniffle turns into an annoying head cold. You feel listless at home, bored at work, and your workouts (if you could be bothered training at all) turn miserable. Getting motivated for anything takes supreme willpower. When yet another upper respiratory infection hits, and that annoying niggle in your Achilles tendon just won’t go away, you decide to lay off the exercise and stew in the juices of frustration.

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<blockquote><span style="color: #008080;"><strong>What has happened?</strong></span></blockquote>
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If this scenario sounds familiar then you're not alone. Frequent upper respiratory infections (URIs) are just one of the signs that your body is being pushed too hard. <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/siclk.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2667 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/siclk.jpg" alt="siclk" width="126" height="168" /></a>Reoccurring soft tissue inflammatory conditions – eg, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, medial shin soreness, knee pain, ITB irritations are just some classic running related over-training signs &amp; symptoms.

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<strong><span style="color: #008080;">We’re not meant to get sick or get injured – this is NOT normal, or a standard hallmark or badge related to training and racing.</span></strong>

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Why do some athletes get sick frequently while others remain healthy?
Is exercise good or bad for the immune system?
The goal of this article is to review the current understanding of the athlete's immune system, and hopefully, teach you how to use this knowledge to stay healthy. First, while I have covered this before, here’s a few points about viral URIs.
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<span style="color: #008080;">They are not caused by getting cold or wet. They are caused by viruses. Person-to-person transmission by aerosolized droplets or direct contact is how these viruses can spread. Yep, that unhealthy sod sitting across from you – you just processed his germs! Antibiotics are not useful in treating viral URIs. Finally, any given viral URI may behave differently in different people. <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/cgcv.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2666 " src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/cgcv.jpg" alt="cgcv" width="136" height="103" /></a>This is because each person’s immune system is unique. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #008080;"><strong><em>What is the immune system?</em></strong></span>

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The immune system is a complex, dynamic, and beautifully orchestrated mechanism with enormous responsibility. It defends against foreign invasion by microorganisms, screens out cancer cells, adapts as we grow, and modifies how we interact with our environment. When it malfunctions, disease, cancer or death can occur. Although it is not necessary to understand all the intimate details of the immune system, it is wise to have a basic grasp of its functions. More precisely, we should understand how to stay healthy.
<em><span style="color: #008080;"><strong>Training the immune system</strong> </span></em>
It appears that the immune system has a training effect, similar to other areas of physiology (e.g., cardiovascular, muscular). In other words, a balanced training program of exercise and rest leads to better performance. Studies have shown improved immune function and fewer URIs in athletes as compared to their couch-potato counterparts. This <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/pace.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2656 size-full" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/pace.jpg" alt="pace" width="259" height="194" /></a>is especially true in older athletes and it appears that regular exercise can help attenuate the age related decline in immune function.

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On the other hand, too much exercise (more so, hard red zone exercise) can lead to a dramatically increased risk of URIs. The stress of strenuous exercise, particularly in a poorly aerobically conditioned athlete, transiently suppresses immune function. This can provide an "open window" for a variety of infectious diseases - notably viral illnesses. This is especially true following single bouts of excessive exercise. For example, it has been observed that two-thirds of participants developed URIs shortly after completing hard, (red zone) training or racing. Similarly, cumulative (hard) overtraining (ie. inadequate rest or periodisation of one’s development) weakens the athlete's immune system, leading to frequent illness and injury.

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<span style="color: #008080;"><em><strong>Stress is cumulative</strong></em></span>
In addition to strenuous exercise, other forms of stress may also transiently suppress immune function. Since exercise is not the only stress factor, an athlete must consider a host of other variables. There are job responsibilities, family obligations, social interactions, financial concerns, nutritional distress (sub-optimal gut health) and other components that shape our lives. The sum of all of these affects a central axis in the body which ultimately <a href="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hcgxg.jpg"><img class="alignright wp-image-2668 size-full" src="http://balancehealthprograms.com.au/wp-content/uploads/hcgxg.jpg" alt="hcgxg" width="275" height="183" /></a>influences immune function. Some of these (e.g., exercise) are under our direct control, and others only partially or not at all. Recognising when excess stress occurs is easier if it just comes from one source. However, all too often it is the sum of many small, difficult to recognise changes that tips the scales and sends the athlete into the whirlpool of overtraining and immune-suppression. Alone and in isolation these small changes would be manageable, but combined they can overwhelm.

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<strong><span style="color: #008080;">It’s my observation that stressed out cats fall more frequently to sickness!</span></strong></blockquote>
<span style="color: #993366;">Your body's early warning signs to overtraining – or inadequately balanced lifestyle stress,</span>
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<span style="color: #008080;">• Disordered sleep (too much or insomnia) </span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Loss of interest in pleasurable activities </span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Moodiness or depression – lack of tolerance</span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Excessive urination</span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Excessive muscle soreness </span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Poor concentration. Lack of mental energy. </span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Altered appetite – often craving sugar pick-ups of additional caffeine</span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Frequent injury or illness </span>
<span style="color: #008080;">• Lack of daily verve</span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #993366;">NEXT WEEK WE’LL COVER IN A CASE STUDY THE PERFECT MIX OF TRAINING &amp; RECOVERY</span>
So you avoid unnecessary illness and injuries.