Using sports foods during training and competition improves the immune system.

Immunity does not fail by chance; it fails due to a lack of energy.

RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport) occurs when energy intake is lower than energy expenditure:

• Occurs due to unintentional undernourishment
• Skipping meals
• Not eating during long training sessions
• Training situations for weight loss
• Restrictive diets

Low energy availability negatively affects functions such as immunity and protein synthesis (adapted from research, society, and development)

Pillar 1: Fuel: (carbohydrates)

Glucose is the primary fuel for immune cells (lymphocytes and neutrophils)

The Mechanism: Low glycogen > Increased cortisol > Immune suppression

Strategies:

• Maintain a good carbohydrate intake during intense training phases
• Consume 30 to 60g of carbohydrates per hour during long training sessions.

Why choose Sports drinks, bars, and other foods

• They can help ensure proper intake before, during, and after...
• Maintenance of blood glucose
• Compact, practical
• Controlled and quantified composition; useful for meal planning
• They can help prevent injuries and increase performance...
• But they do not replace food

You can add caffeine to these foods at specific times.

• Improves alertness, reducing reaction time
• Performance effects are related to the CNS
• The diuretic effect of caffeinated beverages has been refuted…
• Animal foods rich in creatine are rich in saturated fats…
• Highly variable response among individuals
• Administration in capsules or tablets minimizes GI discomfort
• Typically, 5 to 6 mg/kg 1 hour before; 420 mg for an athlete weighing 70 kg
• Administration protocol and dosages are not consensual

Sources:

Mountjoy M, Sundgot-Borgen JK, Burke LM, et alIOC consensus statement on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S): 2018 updateBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2018;52:687-697.

Iwayama, K., Seol, J., & Tokuyama, K. (2023). Exercise Timing Matters for Glycogen Metabolism and Accumulated Fat Oxidation over 24 h. Nutrients, 15(5), 1109. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15051109

AIS. (March 2021). AIS SPORTS SUPPLEMENT FRAMEWORK - sports gels. Obtained from Australian Institute of Sport: https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/999120/36194_Sport-supplement-fact-sheets-Sports-gels-v5.pdf

Sousa, M., Teixeira, V. H., & Graça, P. (2016). Nutrição no Desporto. Programa Nacional para a Promoção da Alimentação Saudável. Lisboa: Direção-Geral da Saúde.