You are claiming to posses literature that supports your opinion. Let`s see that first than I will offer a complete rebuttal.
Something tells me you have just been parroting this myth for no other good reason than you heard someone on a message board say it.
hahaha, you underestimate me.
An MSc in psychology does give me a bit of a start.
I'm not even going to defend the correlations between stress, psychological wellbeing and health because they're so well documented.
I did however do some more digging into the low BF- bad immunesystem theory. My experience on this relationship is based on cycling, road cycling to be exact. This sport requires athletes to train incredibly hard, and they are reported to fall ill more often in the season than offseason. Their BF-levels are around 5-7% when on form. I dug up some research that links rigorous activity to potential negative effects on the immune system. It must be said that although these athletes have low BF% this does not prove a causal relationship between BF and immune system function, it does not falsify the relationship either. In reality low BF levels are often the result of either high levels of activity or malnourishment. Malnourishment itself can be a result of stress. This means it's really hard to separate the effects of low BF from factors as strenuous physical activity or failing to get the full nutritional profile.
I will adjust my statement: The amalgamation of low BF, strenouous activity and malnourishment has been linked to suppressed immune-system function.
Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2009 Aug;34(4):603-8.
Exercise-induced lymphocyte apoptosis attributable to cycle ergometer exercise in endurance-trained individuals.
Navalta JW, McFarlin BK, Lyons TS, Faircloth JC, Bacon NT, Callahan ZJ.
Department of Kinesiology, Recreation, and Sport, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101, USA. james.navalta@wku.edu
Exercise as a stimulus to induce lymphocyte apoptosis remains controversial. Differences may be due to participant fitness level or the methodology of assessing cell death. Another important issue is the mode of exercise used to induce physiological changes. Treadmill exercise typically induces significant apoptosis in human lymphocytes; however, the effect of cycle exercise is less clear. The 2 main purposes of this study were to assess if cycle ergometer exercise induces similar changes in apoptosis, and to further characterize the morphological method of assessing cell death. Endurance athletes (n = 10; peak oxygen consumption = 55.1 mL.kg-1.min-1) completed a 60-min ride on a cycle ergometer at approximately 80% peak oxygen consumption. Blood samples taken before (PRE) and after (POST) exercise were used to make blood films for apoptotic analysis via the morphological technique. A significant increase was observed in the apoptotic index following cycle exercise (PRE = 7.3 +/- 2%, POST = 12.9 +/- 2%; p < 0.01). On average, it took 42 +/- 9 min to read PRE sample slides, which was significantly longer than the 27 +/- 4 min needed for POST slides (p < 0.01). To our knowledge, this study is the first to report that exercise on the cycle ergometer produces changes in lymphocyte apoptosis. The values measured during this study were about 20% lower than those we have observed following treadmill running, which may be explained by differences in active muscle mass and the resultant physiological stress between the 2 exercise modes. It is likely that cycling may result in reduced immunosuppression, compared with running at the same intensity.
PMID: 19767794 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Pediatr Exerc Sci. 2009 Aug;21(3):305-17.
Circulating T-regulatory cells, exercise and the elite adolescent swimmer.
Wilson LD, Zaldivar FP, Schwindt CD, Wang-Rodriguez J, Cooper DM.
Pediatric Exercise Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University Children's Hospital, University of California, Irvine, CA 92868, USA.
Brief high intensity exercise induces peripheral leukocytosis possibly leading to a higher incidence of allergic symptoms in athletes undergoing excessive training. We studied the exercise-induced alternation of circulating Tregs and FoxP3+ Tregs due to acute intense swim exercise in elite swimmers (n = 22, 12 males, age = 15.4 yrs). Twelve had prior or current rhinitis or asthma and 10 had no current or prior allergy or asthma. Circulating Tregs increased significantly (p < .001) following exercise (pre = 133 +/- 11.2, post = 196 +/- 17.6) as did FoxP3+ cells (pre = 44, post = 64 cells/microl). Increases in Tregs and FoxP3+ Tregs occurred to the same extent in both groups of adolescent swimmers.
PMID: 19827454 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Title: Exercise, nutrition and immune function.
Personal Authors: Gleeson, M., Nieman, D. C., Pedersen, B. K.
Author Affiliation: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK.
Editors: Maughan, R. J., Burke, L. M., Coyle, E. F.
Document Title: Food, nutrition and sports performance II. The International Olympic Committee Consensus Conference on sports nutrition
Abstract:
Strenuous bouts of prolonged exercise and heavy training are associated with depressed immune cell function. Furthermore, inadequate or inappropriate nutrition can compound the negative influence of heavy exertion on immuno-competence. Dietary deficiencies of protein and specific micronutrients have long been associated with immune dysfunction. An adequate intake of iron, zinc and vitamins A, E, B6 and B12 is particularly important for the maintenance of immune function, but excess intakes of some micronutrients can also impair immune function and have other adverse effects on health. Immune system depression has also been associated with an excess intake of fat. To maintain immune function, athletes should eat a well-balanced diet sufficient to meet their energy requirements. An athlete exercising in a carbohydrate-depleted state experiences larger increases in circulating stress hormones and a greater perturbation of several immune function indices. Conversely, consuming 30-60 g carbohydrate.h-1 during sustained intensive exercise attenuates rises in stress hormones such as cortisol and appears to limit the degree of exercise-induced immune depression. Convincing evidence that so-called 'immune-boosting' supplements, including high doses of antioxidant vitamins, glutamine, zinc, probiotics and Echinacea, prevent exercise-induced immune impairment is currently lacking.
Publisher: Routledge
The intricate interface between immune system and metabolism
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Giuseppe Matarese E-mail The Corresponding Author, 1 and Antonio La Cava E-mail The Corresponding Author, 2
1 Gruppo di Immunoendocrinologia, Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-IEOS) c/o Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Università di Napoli ‘Federico II’, Via S. Pansini, 5, 80131, Napoli, Italy
2 Autoimmunity and Tolerance Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 1000 Veteran Avenue 32-59, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1670, USA
Available online 21 February 2004.
Abstract
Increasing experimental evidence indicates that several factors that influence metabolism also play a role in the regulation of immune responses. Dissection of the interface connecting the metabolic and immune systems has recently gained wide interest. Particular focus has been on certain cytokines [interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)], hormones (leptin and insulin), neuropeptides (corticotropin-releasing hormone and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone), immune-related proteins (zinc-α2-glycoprotein and attractin and/or mahogany), transcription factors (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors) and glucose metabolism. A better knowledge of the intricate network of interactions among energy regulation, immune surveillance and vital organ functions could in the near future lead to valuable strategies for therapeutic intervention in several immune-mediated diseases.
