ReviewNutrients2012
Exercise-induced immunodepression in endurance athletes and nutritional intervention with carbohydrate, protein and fat-what is possible, what is not?
Review in Nutrients, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- A single dose of cajuína does not improve leukocyte count, lipid peroxidation, and physical performance in runners: a randomized, crossover, double‑blind, placebo study.European journal of nutrition · 2025Trial
- Effects of protein-carbohydrate vs. carbohydrate alone supplementation on immune inflammation markers in endurance athletes: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of applied physiology · 2023Trial
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- Probiotic supplementation in marathonists and its impact on lymphocyte population and function after a marathon: a randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study.Scientific reports · 2020Trial
- Cashew apple juice supplementation enhances leukocyte count by reducing oxidative stress after high-intensity exercise in trained and untrained men.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2019Trial
- The impact of sleeping with reduced glycogen stores on immunity and sleep in triathletes.European journal of applied physiology · 2016Trial
- Carbohydrate supplementation does not blunt the prolonged exercise-induced reduction of in vivo immunity.European journal of nutrition · 2016Trial
- Protein intake during training sessions has no effect on performance and recovery during a strenuous training camp for elite cyclists.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2016Trial
- Changes in the proteomic profile of athletes' plasma associated with exercise intensity.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- An evolutionary medicine and life history perspective on aging and disease: Trade-offs, hyperfunction, and mismatch.Evolution, medicine, and public health · 2025Review
- Changes in the hormonal and inflammatory profile of young sprint- and endurance-trained athletes following a sports camp: a nonrandomized pretest-posttest study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Supply of Antioxidants vs. Recruit Firefighters' Cellular Immune Status: A Randomized Double-Blinded Placebo-Controlled Parallel-Group Trial.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Menstrual cycle impacts adipokine and lipoprotein responses to acute high-intensity intermittent exercise bout.European journal of applied physiology · 2022Article
- A Combined Approach for Health Assessment in Adolescent Endurance Runners.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Physical Activity and Nutritional Influence on Immune Function: An Important Strategy to Improve Immunity and Health Status.Frontiers in physiology · 2021Review
- Efficacy of Nx4 to Reduce Plasma Cortisol and Gastrin Levels in Norwegian Sled Dogs During an Exercise Induced Stress Response: A Prospective, Randomized, Double Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Cohort Study.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2021Article
- Diet in neurogenic bowel management: A viewpoint on spinal cord injury.World journal of gastroenterology · 2020Review
- Identification of Urinary Biomarkers for Exercise-Induced Immunosuppression by iTRAQ Proteomics.BioMed research international · 2020Article
- Repetitive Bouts of Exhaustive Exercise Induces a Systemic Inflammatory Response and Multi-Organ Damage in Rats.Frontiers in physiology · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Heavily exercising endurance athletes experience extreme physiologic stress, which is associated with temporary immunodepression and higher risk of infection, particularly upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). The aim of this review is to provide a critical up-to-date review of existing evidence on the immunomodulatory potential of selected macronutrients and to evaluate their efficacy. The results of 66 placebo-controlled and/or crossover trials were compared and analysed. Among macronutrients, the most effective approach to maintain immune function in athletes is to consume ≥6% carbohydrate during prolonged exercise. Because inadequate nutrition affects almost all aspects of the immune system, a well-balanced diet is also important. Evidence of beneficial effects from other macronutrients is scarce and results are often inconsistent. Using a single nutrient may not be as effective as a mixture of several nutritional supplements. Due to limited research evidence, with the exception of carbohydrate, no explicit recommendations to reduce post-exercise URTI symptoms with single macronutrients can be derived.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.