The truth about the coronavirus pandemic is one that’s hard to believe. While this disease continues to spread, people all around the world are wondering how the massive changes are going to affect their lives. We are already getting a glimpse of the effects on society—closed restaurants, bars, and venues, canceled events, and limited interaction with friends and family. The effects on the economy don’t seem so big now, but as the pandemic continues to spread, the shut down of everything around the globe, including our very own jobs, is going to have a major impact on our individual incomes and economics as a whole. I mean, have you seen the stock market recently?!
As athletes, we should already treat our immune system as a priority to our health for two reasons: 1) We enter an immunocompromised state every time we train intensely, and 2) Getting sick keeps us from our regular training schedules. Most people don’t realize that it takes more than popping a vitamin C supplement every day to keep our immune systems healthy. Our sleep patterns, diet, training regimen, stress levels, and hygiene all play a big role in immune health. During a crisis such as what the world is going through now with COVID-19, we have to pay even more attention to each factor.
Diet
We all know how important a healthy diet is in general but it’s actually specifically linked to our immune function. Our immune system relies on white blood cells to create the antibodies that fight off bacteria and viruses and, believe it or not, certain foods can impair this white blood cell function. Studies have shown that a high fat diet can weaken the immune system. You may have read that a full-on plant-based diet is the way to go, but this is mainly due to the fact that plant-based diets generally have less dietary fat and more fiber—two factors that help improve immunity. You can still eat a high fiber, low fat diet and not specifically be plant-based. Loading up on fruits and veggies is also key to protecting immune health, since they are full of vitamins and minerals.
Sleep
The immune system is pretty complex, and so is the link between its health and our sleep patterns. The basic premise is that with sleep deprivation, our T-cell development is diminished. T-cells are the soldiers of the immune system that attack bacteria and viruses, and help keep us from getting sick. On top of limiting T-cell growth, sleep deprivation increases inflammatory cytokines in the immune system, leading to the development of colds and flus from the viruses that could not be fought off by the T-cells. Sleep is also when we experience our highest fever during illness. We tend to think fevers are a bad part of being sick, but it’s actually our bodies way of fighting off infection. If we don’t get good quality sleep, we can end up with a longer dose of the flu or seasonal cold. Aim for 7-9 hours each night for a stronger immune system.
Supplements
It is not absolutely necessary to take vitamins and other supplements every day in order to be healthy. If you regularly eat a wholesome diet—the right amount from each food group, then you most likely get all of the nutrients your body needs. The problem is the majority of people do not eat a wholesome diet, so taking a daily dose of the right vitamins is essential to good health and organ function. For immune function in particular, a good starting point is adding in vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium. One nutrient that is often overlooked by athletes is glutamine. This vital amino acid works directly with immune cells to fight off infection. Our body naturally produces it already, except that during times of stress, less glutamine is produced. This happens during both physical and emotional stress—intense training, sickness, cancer treatment, or even simply just being mentally stressed on a daily basis from work and family obligations. It can be helpful to add in a glutamine supplement after hard training sessions, especially during cold and flu season.
Training During the Outbreak
How many of us have had to change our training plans because either our local running routes have closed or our cities have gone on lockdown at this time? If the case is that you cannot run outside, then there are other options to get in your endurance training. Of course if you have an at-home treadmill, you are saved—you can keep your same training plan as if there was no crazy outbreak. Most of us, though, don’t have this luxury so we need to find another way. If you live in an apartment building, run laps through the parking garage. It’s not only a way to keep up your training program, but you get the added bonus of working on a hilly route!
If you are heading outdoors for your run, do your part and practice social distancing (6 feet apart from anyone!) and good hygiene. Here are some tips to follow to help keep you at low risk of catching and/or spreading any viruses:
✖️RUN SOLO - stay away from group runs, even if you think you are all healthy. Remember you can be carrying the virus around without knowing (zero symptoms!).
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✖️Don’t drink from water fountains - they are rarely cleaned and you can’t count on absolutely no one having put their mouth on the spout, and some people even spit in the fountains too! Just deal with carrying your own bottle for now.
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✖️Keep social distance - 6 feet away from every person! If you have to pass someone, try to hold your breath for a few seconds and look the other way.
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✖️Wash your hands immediately when you get home and get out of your run clothes—you don’t know what has dropped onto you while running.
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✖️Stay hydrated ALL DAY & keep a healthy diet—As stated above, this helps keep a strong immune system!
At-Home Workouts
If you can’t run outside, lack a parking garage, and don’t have enough space to jog around your home, it’s okay ! Don’t worry about losing fitness or getting out of running shape! There are plenty of exercises you can incorporate every day that will keep you in good form. You can make it a goal to maintain your endurance and strength as much as possible by combining a mix of moves. Thankfully you can still place orders online for workout equipment. My go-to tools are resistance bands and medicine balls. Click here to shop these and so many other options! To get the best out of your workouts, make sure to incorporate short rest breaks and keep your heart rate up as if you were running. Explosive moves such as plyometrics are extremely useful for runners and torch more calories than static moves. Try to keep your body moving for the same amount of time you usually run every day.
We are all hoping this virus will get under control within a matter or weeks, so it won’t be long before you can get out for a run again! The positive side of switching up your program for the time being is that you can give your body a break from the constant pounding of running and work different muscle groups. You’ll be surprised how much it will help with your form, strength, and pacing once you’re back out on the road! Endurance may lack bit when getting back into it, but it’s a part of fitness that quickly returns after just a few weeks off. The key is to keep your body moving!
Sources
Berenbaum, F.; van den Berg,W.B. Inflammation in osteoarthritis: Changing views. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2015, 23, 1823–1824.
Rinninella E, Cintoni M, Raoul P, et al. Food Components and Dietary Habits: Keys for a Healthy Gut Microbiota Composition. Nutrients. Published online October 7, 2019
