Sport, zero stress and the right vitamins to avoid the flu

Sports activity is an extraordinary ally of health, but it asks the body for an additional metabolic effort that must be supported through the diet.

There are those who have been practicing it for years for pure passion, those who resign themselves periodically, with difficulty, to preserve or recover physical fitness and those who begin to take it into consideration late, on the advice of the doctor, to improve general health conditions, to prevent or fight a specific disease (such as diabetes, heart failure, osteoporosis , hypertension or osteoarticular pain) or to strengthen the strength and tone of muscles in old age.

Whatever the reason that leads to devote oneself to sports, one thing is certain: moving a little every day and practicing structured physical exercise at least 1-2 times a week is one of the best lifestyle habits that can be maintained in order to protect the well-being of the body at any age, prevent the accumulation of excess pounds and related discomfort (not only on an aesthetic level), support physical and intellectual performance, relieve stress and maintain a good mood.

For this reason, all institutions and scientific societies that deal with medicine and health protection promote fitness and sports activities at all ages, even when there is a chronic disease that does not involve absolute contraindications to exercise.

However, to be truly advantageous, in every season of the year, sport must be practiced with criterion and at the right intensity, taking into account individual physical potential and any specific difficulties, global health conditions and those present at the time of training, environmental variables (temperature, humidity, air pollution, level of allergens in the air, etc.) and, Last but not least, nutrition and hydration: all aspects that can make the difference between beneficial or deleterious physical activity.

Sports & Influence

In autumn and winter, especially those who practice outdoor sports such as running, cycling or football must put a stop to their passion and pay some extra attention to health protection. Cold and humidity represent, in fact, a source of additional stress on the metabolic level, for the body as a whole and, in particular, for the respiratory tract and the musculoskeletal system.

Breathing cold air facilitates the sensitization of the mucous membranes of the nose and pharynx, increasing the likelihood of developing colds, dry coughs and sore throats, especially if outdoor sports is practiced in urban areas with average pollution, which are usually even more so in the months from October to March, especially if rainfall is scarce and car traffic is very intense.

This basic irritation of the nose and throat makes it much more susceptible to aggression by infectious agents responsible for colds, starting with influenza, while at the muscular and tendon level the low ambient temperature increases the risk of inflammation and injuries especially during warm-ups, the initial stages of training and any competitions (or matches in the case of team sports).

To protect yourself from these inconveniences, in the colder months, on days of greater air pollution or, in any case, when the weather is the enemy, it is advisable to replace at least part of outdoor physical activity with other sports and forms of training in protected environments (swimming, tennis on indoor courts, gym, etc.). If you are not a professional athlete, this simple precaution will allow you to avoid many respiratory infections (which, however, would require the more or less prolonged suspension of sporting activity), without creating particular losses in terms of physical performance.

Fever and training

Unfortunately, even if you have been vaccinated against the flu, the opportunities to get sick in autumn and winter are not lacking because viruses and bacteria responsible for respiratory infections are very numerous and varied and ready to strike at any time.

If you notice that you have a fever on the day scheduled for a training or a game, there is no need to risk: better to stay at rest, drink plenty of water and other liquids to hydrate the body, eat nutritious and digestible foods, take the necessary medications and postpone the scheduled activity for a few days, when the thermometer will have dropped below 37 ° C and you will feel fit again.

Practicing sports during a febrile episode involves cardiometabolic stress that fatigues the body and exposes you to a serious risk of complications. In addition to subtracting energy, in fact, physical activity increases body temperature and the production of free radicals and oxidizing compounds: two absolutely counterproductive phenomena, which make the action of anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs less effective and aggravate the work required of the immune system, slowing down healing.

If the fever lasted a few days and at its origin there was a flu or bacterial infection treated with antibiotics, you should not be in a hurry to resume training at full capacity. It is better to start gradually, without forcing or being influenced by the comparison with friends or teammates: the risk is to encounter excessive fatigue or even relapses, without however being able to guarantee optimal physical performance, especially at a competitive level.

Sports with colds and coughs

You don’t need to have a flu with a fever of 39°C or acute bronchitis that clogs your airways to decide that it’s best to give yourself some rest and relaxation for a few days.

Even a simple cold or a moderate dry cough, in fact, significantly compromise the efficiency of breathing during physical activity; this leads to insufficient oxygenation of the tissues and an impairment of cardiopulmonary function that undermine the physiology of muscular work.

This is especially true when training is based on aerobic exercise and long-lasting endurance activities.

In addition, in case of sore throat, the need to increase the rhythm of breathing to support muscle work worsens symptoms such as burning, pain, inflammation of the mucous membranes and coughing stimulus (especially if you train outdoors, where the air is cold), with effects that can negatively affect night sleep, preventing rest and further reducing the level of general well-being.

Che l’attività sportiva sia praticata a livello amatoriale o agonistico, quindi, prima si devono curare bene raffreddore e tosse secca e, poi, si può ricominciare ad allenarsi come si desidera. In entrambi i casi, per farlo si possono usare farmaci da banco o prescritti dal medico, in relazione alla gravità delle manifestazioni, e/o alcuni rimedi naturali.

Vitamine & Co contro tosse e raffreddore

Tra questi ultimi, quelli che sembrano essere caratterizzati dalla maggiore efficacia nel combattere i sintomi del raffreddore e della tosse comprendono bevande calde come il brodo di pollo, il latte con il miele (dotato di proprietà antiossidanti, dovute alla presenza di vitamine A, C e alcune vitamine del gruppo B e ai composti polifenolici), la camomilla con un po’ di succo di limone (ricco di vitamina C come tutti gli agrumi), le tisane e gli infusi calmanti e lenitivi a base di malva, timo, liquirizia, magari arricchiti di un po’ di zenzero (radice ricca di vitamina C e caratterizzata da proprietà antiossidanti e antinfiammatorie), cicli di aerosol e suffumigi di solo vapore o con l’aggiunta di estratti di mentolo, eucaliptolo ecc.

Per contribuire a ridurre i sintomi del raffreddore si deve inoltre aumentare il consumo di frutta e verdura, soprattutto di quelle contenenti le maggiori quantità di vitamina C (agrumi, uva, kiwi, fragole, peperoni, pomodori, broccoli, cavoli, patate, cavolfiori, spinaci, piselli ecc.).

Gli studi condotti a riguardo hanno dimostrato che, assumendo vitamina C ad adeguato dosaggio (almeno 200-250 mg al giorno), bambini e adulti possono ottenere una relativa protezione dal raffreddore (in particolare una riduzione di durata e gravità dei sintomi), che diventa decisamente più marcata quando ad avvalersene sono gli sportivi che si sottopongono ad allenamenti intensivi in condizioni climatiche sfavorevoli (sciatori, atleti che si allenano per una maratona o in ambienti con freddo intenso). In quest’ultimo caso, gli studi effettuati hanno evidenziato che l’incidenza dei raffreddori tra gli atleti che assumevano integratori contenenti da 250 a 1.000 mg/die di vitamina C era dimezzata rispetto a chi non li assumeva.

Soprattutto a chi pratica attività sportiva molto intensa, a livello amatoriale o agonistico, la vitamina C offre anche una protezione più generalizzata, grazie alla sua capacità di neutralizzare i radicali liberi e gli altri composti ossidanti prodotti in grande quantità dal metabolismo energetico durante il lavoro muscolare.

Nel contesto di ulteriori valutazioni è stato, inoltre, osservato che l’azione protettiva della vitamina C potrebbe essere potenziata dalla contemporanea assunzione di zinco: un micronutriente caratterizzato da una marcata azione antiossidante. Questi dati dovranno essere confermati in ulteriori ricerche prima di poter affermare con certezza l’esistenza di questa “singergia”.

Vantaggioso in senso preventivo può essere anche un ciclo di 15 giorni di assunzione di estratti di Echinacea: pianta erbacea dai caratteristici fiori rosa, che in alcuni studi si è dimostrata in grado di ridurre il numero di episodi di raffreddore sia negli adulti sia nei bambini.

Altre vitamine particolarmente utili per gli sportivi sono quelle del gruppo B: la B6, la B9 (acido folico, la cui integrazione è raccomandata soprattutto in gravidanza) e la B12 contribuiscono a sostenere l’attività del sistema immunitario. La B1, B2, la B3 e la B5 sono invece essenziali per permettere un’efficiente produzione di energia muscolare a partire dai carboidrati e dai grassi e per supportare il metabolismo delle proteine.

Quando riposare

Tutti gli sportivi, a prescindere dall’età, dal livello di preparazione atletica, dalle condizioni fisiche generali e dal desiderio di muoversi, devono saper ascoltare il proprio corpo e capire quando è il caso di riposare.

In autunno-inverno, sintomi come spossatezza, debolezza muscolare e indolenzimenti articolari, con ogni probabilità, annunciano l’arrivo di una sindrome influenzale, che potrebbe risultare particolarmente severa se trascurata all’esordio. Se non ci sente abbastanza in forma, quindi, meglio non forzare, e rimandare l’allenamento.

Questo consiglio diventa un imperativo quando sintomi respiratori e/o febbre sono già presenti e nei 3-5 giorni successivi a un’influenza. A riguardo, va ricordato che le infezioni virali affaticano molto l’organismo e anche quando le principali manifestazioni sono scomparse è necessario un po’ di tempo per ritrovare l’efficienza abituale.

Mentre si riposa, si deve ricordare di mangiare in modo sano e bilanciato, assumendo proteine, carboidrati e grassi di qualità, in relazione al fabbisogno individuale, e privilegiando alimenti freschi, nutrienti e facilmente digeribili.

Idealmente, per sapere quando si è pronti per ricominciare a praticare attività fisica dopo una malattia da raffreddamento di una certa importanza ci si dovrebbe sempre sottoporre a due visite mediche: la prima all’esordio dei sintomi, per avere dal medico indicazioni e consigli su come gestire al meglio il disturbo e l’eventuale prescrizione di analisi del sangue per comprenderne meglio la natura; la seconda, quando i fastidi maggiori sono scomparsi, per essere certi di essere completamente guariti.

Palestra e influenza

A rule that should never be disregarded in case of flu is that, to protect yourself from possible complications and not infect others, you must stay at home, at rest, warm, avoiding sudden changes in temperature and too direct and close contact with family members. As can be guessed, this also implies that you do not have to go to the gym for about a week.

If, on the other hand, you attend a gym or fitness center in autumn-winter and you have not yet been intercepted by seasonal viruses, some caution must be taken to reduce the likelihood of getting sick, given that, like all closed places frequented by many people, the environments in which physical exercise is practiced are to be considered “at risk” of transmission of respiratory diseases.

The first good habit to follow is to wash your hands often and well with soap and water, rubbing for at least a minute: this must be done as soon as you arrive at the locker room (especially if public transport has been used to reach it), at the end of training and every time you use the toilets between one exercise session and another.

To further increase the degree of protection, you can rub your hands with disinfectant gels when moving from one tool to another, if the exercise involves having to grip grips, dumbbells, rods, etc.

The second warning is to limit direct contact with common surfaces and tools (benches for lifting weights, extender supports, floors, etc.) to the bare minimum, always interposing a towel or mat, which will then be washed every time, as soon as you return home, together with the clothes used during training.

While training, you should also avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands, which are the entry gates into the body of microorganisms responsible for influenza and other colds.

Another fairly intuitive trick is to avoid close contact with people who have “suspicious” symptoms, such as red eyes and nose, colds, sneezing or coughing. It must be said, however, that this does not protect 100% from possible direct infections because, even through the air emitted with simple breathing, influenza and cold viruses are able to disperse within a radius of several meters.

Ultimately, the best seasonal flu shield, in the gym as elsewhere, is represented by the flu vaccine, effective, safe and harmless at any age and recommended in pregnant women. Flu vaccination does not make the other precautions already mentioned less necessary, since the possible respiratory pathogens are very numerous and diverse, but it greatly reduces the risk of getting sick.