For those of us with busy lifestyles during the week, the weekend represents an opportunity for more intense workouts. However, this kind of infrequent physical activity on a weekly basis can be difficult on the immune system.

After intense or vigorous exercise during the weekend, there’s a period when immunity is suppressed and vulnerable. This “open window” can occur in both seasoned athletes and those who are recreationally active, although most of the research in this area has been completed in athletic populations.

Adding Immune Shake Booster into your everyday routine can be an important tool to keep your immune system stronger during and after exercise.

Immune Shake Booster includes ingredients designed to prime the immune system and can be used daily, which is particularly important for those who participate in physical activity, even sparingly. Wellmune® beta glucans in Immune Shake Booster have been shown to support the immune system at times of stress, including after exercise.

In a 2017 study in recreationally active adults, supplementing with Wellmune daily led to better immunity after exercise (1). Previous studies involving Wellmune have included men, women, stressed individuals, and athletes, but this is the first study to include recreationally active participants (2-4).

Study Details

The study included 109 college-aged, recreationally active men and women not currently taking part in an exercise program. All participants completed both a supplement (250 mg Wellmune) and placebo (250 mg rice flour) condition with a seven-day washout period between conditions.

After 10 days of either supplement or placebo, the participants performed fast and slow treadmill intervals in a hot, humid environment for 90 minutes. The researchers took blood samples at baseline, prior to and immediately following exercise, and two and four hours into recovery.

They found that there was a modulation of immune markers after exercise, suggesting immune cells are primed and ready if they were to encounter pathogens. This confirms supplementation with Wellmune beta glucan may decrease the likelihood of immune suppression after intense exercise as well as in times of extreme stress, as modeled in the hot exercise condition.

These results show another reason to make Immune Shake Booster part of your daily routine. Instead of using it seasonally, try adding a scoop to your IsaLean® Shake each day to support your body through life’s many stressors.

Reference

  1. McFarlin BK, Venable AS, Carpenter KC, et al. Oral supplementation with Baker’s yeast beta glucan is associated with altered monocytes, T cells and cytokines following a bout of strenuous exercise. Front Physiol. 2017 Oct 20; 8: 786.
  2. Carpenter KC, Breslin WL, Davidson T, et al. Baker’s yeast β-glucan supplementation increases monocytes and cytokines post-exercise: implications for infection risk? Br J Nutr. 2013 Feb; 109(3): 478-486.
  3. McFarlin BK, Carpenter KC, Davidson T, and McFarlin MA. Baker’s yeast beta glucan supplementation increases salivary IgA and decreases cold/flu symptomatic days after intense exercise. J Diet Suppl. 2013 Sept; 10(3): 171-83.
  4. Talbott S and Talbott J. Beta 1,3/1,6 glucan decreases upper respiratory tract infection symptoms and improves psychological well-being in moderate to highly-stressed subjects. AgroFood Industry Hi-Tech. 2010 Jan/Feb; 21(1): 21-24.