Blog - The Dish
Exercise-Induced Inflammation
Client: I think the reason I find inflammation so confusing is because inflammation is a bad thing but exercise is a good thing yet exercise causes inflammation…
You’re finding it confusing, because it IS confusing!
Let me try to clarify:
During intense physical activity, whether it be long-duration or high-intensity, the body experiences injury from nervous, circulatory and respiratory system fatigue, muscle fiber damage and often bruised bones and other ailments. I discussed the immune system’s response briefly last week. The body responds to fatigue/injury due to intense physical activity in the very same way. This exercise-induced inflammation is a normal response to high-output exercise that can cause localized swelling, redness and pain.
According to recent research, exercise can help prevent and even moderate clinical low-grade inflammation(the “bad”, chronic disease-causing inflammation)(2). This may be partly due to conditioning the immune response through the exercise, rest, repeat cycle(1,2). However, there is much more to learn about this relationship and how much/what intensity of exercise is best. It is proposed that moderate-intensity exercise is best for treating chronic inflammatory conditions(4,5,6). However, high-intensity exercise still plays an important role in preventing inflammatory conditions from developing in the first place! This is why individualized care and guidance is so important. If you have health conditions or concerns, consult a qualified health professional to learn what type, duration and intensity of exercise is best for you. I always offer to write personalized exercise plans for all of my clients, because diet and exercise work together like peanut butter and jelly!(Or Sunbutter if you’re allergic to peanuts… Ha!)
Is exercise-induced inflammation ever a bad thing?
Prolonged inflammation can occur as a result of continuous physical over-exertion and lack of rest and recovery. I often tell my clients that the projected value of a hard training session depends on proper refueling and proper muscle recovery. Recovery and diet is what allows for proper growth and energy storage. When under a steady state of inflammation, we experience continuous fatigue, muscle damage and soreness which ultimately limits muscle growth, stunts performance and increases muscle loss. This condition is often referred to as “overtraining syndrome”, a condition of impaired immune system, chronic inflammation, declined performance and varying undesirable outcomes. With all the time and energy athletes spend training, especially at the collegiate and professional level, reducing prolonged inflammation is a key concern for sports dietitians like me. The good news? Nutrition can play a pivotal role! You can also methodically plan your training so you’re targeting different muscle groups on different days and still allowing proper recovery time. That way, by the end of the week, you’ve fully fatigued each major muscle group and still allowed for proper recovery and regrowth.
Nutritional tips to reduce exercise-induced inflammation:
CONSUME PROPER FLUIDS, ELECTROLYTES AND CARBS. Water can help maintain proper blood flow, joint lubrication, flush toxins out of your body and preserve anti-microbial properties in saliva. Dehydration can also lead to weakened immune response and increased inflammation. Adequate carbohydrate ingestion can also attenuate the inflammatory response to acute exercise, reduce cortisol(stress hormone) and support hydration(carbs are stored with water).
SELECT HIGH-ANTIOXIDANT FOODS. Colorful fruits and vegetables have been proven to reduce oxidative stress caused by exhaustive exercise. However, supplements have been shown to actually inhibit muscle recovery and impair training adaptations(3)! This is likely due to the very high content of antioxidants consumed from supplements. PLEASE ALWAYS CHOOSE FOOD OVER SUPPLEMENTS.
My favorite choices? Spinach, kale, citrus fruits, berries, avocado, broccoli, peppers(red is highest in vitamin C!), tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes/squash. Try to incorporate a few of these foods into your meals on a daily basis. Don’t know where to start? I’m happy to help!
INCREASE OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS to help reduce exercise-induced inflammation(7). Foods like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, walnuts, ground flaxseed and chia seed are great sources of these essential fats. Aim for 3 grams/day. 3 grams is the equivalent of 3 ounces Atlantic farmed cooked salmon and 1 Tbsp Flax. A fish oil supplement may be necessary to help certain individuals reach this goal(3-4g EPA + DHA is recommended).
MEET YOUR PERSONAL PROTEIN NEEDS. Protein supports the actual production of immune cells and reduces muscle damage. Aim to get 20-40 grams of high-quality protein (containing all essential amino acids, not just BCAAs!) in post-exercise. Specific recommendations will vary.
GET ADEQUATE VITAMIN D. Vitamin D regulates our body’s inflammatory response and many athletes are deficient due to lack of sun exposure during its peak hours of 10am-2pm. Unfortunately, it isn’t as easy to meet the recommended 2000-5000 IU/day from diet alone. If you cannot get outside for whatever reason, try to include fatty fish like salmon, eggs(YOLKS!) and fortified dairy in your diet on a daily basis. For clients who choose to follow a vegan or dairy-free diet, I typically recommend taking a daily supplement.
EXPERIMENT WITH TART CHERRY JUICE, NITRICT ACID, NITRATES. Tart cherry juice is high in anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant found in red and purple fruits and veggies. Research supports that tart cherry juice can help maintain muscle strength and reduce pain by reducing oxidative stress(3).
Nitrates become nitric oxide, a chemical important for increasing blood flow throughout the body, which can help transport anti-inflammatory factors to sites of local inflammation and support rapid recovery. Beets and leafy greens are good sources of nitrates to include in a post-workout smoothie or recovery day meal.
SEASON WITH HERBS AND SPICES. Ginger, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon and rosemary contain antioxidants and may help combat exercise-induced inflammation(3).
There are many sports supplements that claim to fight inflammation and muscle soreness. Most of the research as a whole is weak in supporting what is claimed in adds, but if you have a specific question about a product or ergogenic aid/chemical/ingredient, I’d love to hear from you! At the end of the day, real food wins again!
I hope this helps! Have a question for me or want clarification on a topic related to nutrition/diet or fitness/sport? Click on the “contact me” button on the upper right corner of this page or let me know on Instagram @kyliekainnutrition!
Sources
Kristen M. Beavers, Tina E. Brinkley, Barbara J. Nicklas, Effect of exercise training on chronic inflammation, Clinica Chimica Acta,Volume 411, Issues 11–12, 2010, Pages 785-793, ISSN 0009-8981
George S. Metsios, Rikke H. Moe, George D. Kitas, Exercise and inflammation, Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology, Volume 34, Issue 2, 2020, 101504, ISSN 1521-6942
Wentz M. Laurel, Balancing Exercise-Induced Inflammation, Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association.
Grace L. Rose, Tina L. Skinner, Gregore I. Mielke, Mia A. Schaumberg, The effect of exercise intensity on chronic inflammation: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2020, ISSN 1440-2440
Pedersen, B. K. (2017). Anti-inflammatory effects of exercise: role in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 47(8), 600-611. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/eci.12781
Emily M. Paolucci, Dessi Loukov, Dawn M.E. Bowdish, Jennifer J. Heisz, Exercise reduces depression and inflammation but intensity matters, Biological Psychology, Volume 133, 2018, Pages 79-84, ISSN 0301-0511
Nathan A Lewis, Diarmuid Daniels, Philip C Calder, Lindy M Castell, Charles R Pedlar, Are There Benefits from the Use of Fish Oil Supplements in Athletes? A Systematic Review, Advances in Nutrition, Volume 11, Issue 5, September 2020, Pages 1300–1314, https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa050