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The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection

Several epidemiological reports suggest that athletes engaging in marathon-type running events are at increased risk of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). A possible explanation for this increased susceptibility is that during prolonged, strenuous exercise, production of immunosu...

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Main Author: Moolla, Mahomed Ebrahim
Other Authors: Weight, Lindsay
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: MRC/UCT RU for Exercise and Sport Medicine 2017
Subjects:
Sports Medicine
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access_status_str Open Access
author Moolla, Mahomed Ebrahim
author2 Weight, Lindsay
author_browse Moolla, Mahomed Ebrahim
Weight, Lindsay
author_facet Weight, Lindsay
Moolla, Mahomed Ebrahim
author_sort Moolla, Mahomed Ebrahim
collection Thesis
description Several epidemiological reports suggest that athletes engaging in marathon-type running events are at increased risk of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). A possible explanation for this increased susceptibility is that during prolonged, strenuous exercise, production of immunosuppressive oxygen free radicals is increased. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine the effect of anti-oxidant vitamin supplementation on the incidence and severity of post-race symptoms of URTI's among athletes competing in a 90-kilometer ultramarathon footrace. A double blind, randomised, placebo controlled study design was employed. Eighty-five subjects were divided into three experimental and three control groups. Each athlete selected a non-running partner with whom they were paired. This non-running control was of a similar age and was a member of the same household or otherwise closely associated with the runner. The experimental and control groups were divided into those ingesting 250 mg/day of ascorbic acid (n = 13 runners, 11 non-running controls), or 4.5 mg/day of beta-carotene (n = 12 runners, 11 non-running controls) or placebo (n = 19 runners and 19 nonrunning controls). All groups commenced supplementation six weeks before the ultramarathon and continued for two weeks after the race. The runners and non-running controls experienced the same incidence of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections during the study period (50% and 53% respectively) but significantly more runners than non-running controls experienced severe symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections of infective origin (45% and 18% respectively, p < 0.01). Of the runners, 30. 8% on supplemental ascorbic acid, 41. 7% on beta-carotene and 68% on placebo developed symptoms of URTI's. The comparative figures for non-running controls were 45.5%, 45.5% and 63% respectively. All of the non-running controls (100%) and 80% of the athletes who developed severe symptoms of URTIs were on placebo medication. Al though post-race symptoms of URTI 's are common in distance runners, prolonged, strenuous exercise itself is only one of a number of risk factors for symptoms of URTI. However, ingestion of supplemental anti-oxidant in the form of ascorbic acid or beta-carotene for an eight-week period before and after an endurance running event significantly decreases the severity of athletes' symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
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license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2017
publishDateRange 2017
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publisher MRC/UCT RU for Exercise and Sport Medicine
publisherStr MRC/UCT RU for Exercise and Sport Medicine
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spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/26558 The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection Moolla, Mahomed Ebrahim Weight, Lindsay Sports Medicine Several epidemiological reports suggest that athletes engaging in marathon-type running events are at increased risk of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). A possible explanation for this increased susceptibility is that during prolonged, strenuous exercise, production of immunosuppressive oxygen free radicals is increased. The purpose of this study therefore was to examine the effect of anti-oxidant vitamin supplementation on the incidence and severity of post-race symptoms of URTI's among athletes competing in a 90-kilometer ultramarathon footrace. A double blind, randomised, placebo controlled study design was employed. Eighty-five subjects were divided into three experimental and three control groups. Each athlete selected a non-running partner with whom they were paired. This non-running control was of a similar age and was a member of the same household or otherwise closely associated with the runner. The experimental and control groups were divided into those ingesting 250 mg/day of ascorbic acid (n = 13 runners, 11 non-running controls), or 4.5 mg/day of beta-carotene (n = 12 runners, 11 non-running controls) or placebo (n = 19 runners and 19 nonrunning controls). All groups commenced supplementation six weeks before the ultramarathon and continued for two weeks after the race. The runners and non-running controls experienced the same incidence of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections during the study period (50% and 53% respectively) but significantly more runners than non-running controls experienced severe symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections of infective origin (45% and 18% respectively, p < 0.01). Of the runners, 30. 8% on supplemental ascorbic acid, 41. 7% on beta-carotene and 68% on placebo developed symptoms of URTI's. The comparative figures for non-running controls were 45.5%, 45.5% and 63% respectively. All of the non-running controls (100%) and 80% of the athletes who developed severe symptoms of URTIs were on placebo medication. Al though post-race symptoms of URTI 's are common in distance runners, prolonged, strenuous exercise itself is only one of a number of risk factors for symptoms of URTI. However, ingestion of supplemental anti-oxidant in the form of ascorbic acid or beta-carotene for an eight-week period before and after an endurance running event significantly decreases the severity of athletes' symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. 2017-12-12T10:55:57Z 2017-12-12T10:55:57Z 1997 Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26558 eng application/pdf MRC/UCT RU for Exercise and Sport Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Sports Medicine
Moolla, Mahomed Ebrahim
The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection
thesis_degree_str Master's
title The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection
title_full The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection
title_fullStr The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection
title_full_unstemmed The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection
title_short The role of anti-oxidants in the prevention of post-race upper respiratory tract infection
title_sort role of anti oxidants in the prevention of post race upper respiratory tract infection
topic Sports Medicine
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26558
work_keys_str_mv AT moollamahomedebrahim theroleofantioxidantsinthepreventionofpostraceupperrespiratorytractinfection
AT moollamahomedebrahim roleofantioxidantsinthepreventionofpostraceupperrespiratorytractinfection

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