Running Marathons increases the risk of catching colds

According to Professor Mike Gleeson from Loughborough University, different levels of exercise can actually significantly increase or decrease your chances of catching a respiratory infection. While regular moderate exercise can reduce the risk of catching cold-like infections, prolonged strenuous exercise, such as marathons, can make an individual more susceptible.

Upper- respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are acute infections that affect the nose, throat and sinuses, and include the common cold, tonsillitis, sinusitis and flu. Viruses that circulate in the environment usually cause URTIs. While we are constantly exposed to these viruses, it is the status of our immune system that determines whether we succumb to infection or not. Exercise can have both a positive and negative effect on immune function, combined with genetics and other external factors like stress, poor nutrition and lack of sleep. Collectively these factors determine an individual's susceptibility to infection.

Professor Gleeson explains why the exercise factor is an interesting one. "If you have a tendency to be a couch potato then you probably have an average risk of catching an infection -- typically 2-3 URTIs per year. Research shows that those undertaking regular moderate exercise (e.g. a daily brisk walk), can reduce their chance of catching a respiratory infection, such as a cold, by up to almost a third." This effect has been shown to be the result of the cumulative effect of exercise leading to long-term improvement in immunity. "Conversely, in periods following prolonged strenuous exercise, the likelihood of an individual becoming ill actually increases. In the weeks following a marathon, studies have reported a 2-6 fold increase in the risk of developing an upper respiratory infection," said Professor Gleeson. "The heavy training loads of endurance athletes make them more susceptible to URTIs and this is an issue for them as infections can mean missing training sessions or underperforming in competitions."

The major players in this immune regulation are immune cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells which are important weapons in the fight against viral infections. NK cells recognise viral-infected cells as foreign invaders and force them to commit suicide." During moderate exercise the activity of NK cells is enhanced, whereas stressful endurance activities such as marathons can turn down NK cell activity. These changes are tightly regulated by stress hormones and other immune cells," explained Professor Gleeson.

There is a clear take-home message from our current understanding of the link between exercise and immune function. "Moderate exercise has a positive effect on the immune system. So to keep colds at bay, a brisk daily walk should help -- it's all about finding a happy medium," said Professor Gleeson.

There is an old adage that says you should take a day off for every mile you race. So if you run a fast 26.2 mile Marathon, then you should take 26 days or a month off. Not only does this give your body a chance for it's immune system to recover but it also lets you recover from any small muscle tears or injuries you may have picked up. All too often, the biggest mistake people make is that they are running hard again one to two weeks later and sure enough, they get injured. So the best advice post Marathon is....put those feet up, eat plenty and relax!