http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10910295&dopt=Abstract

Dietary fats and immune status in athletes: clinical
                                    implications.

                                    Venkatraman JT, Leddy J,
Pendergast D.

                                    Department of Physical
Therapy, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences,
                                    Sports Medicine
Institute, University at Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.
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                                    Athletes are
competitive, train at very high levels with inadequate
                                    rest, consume too few
calories, avoid fats, and may be at increased
                                    risk of infections. The
immune system is sensitive to both fat intake
                                    and intense exercise,
suggesting that athletes may have suppressed
                                    immune function. It has
been reported that many athletes consume about
                                    25% fewer calories than
the estimated expenditure, leading to low
                                    intakes of some
essential micronutrients and fats. Acute exercise has
                                    been shown to increase
inflammatory and decrease antiinflammatory
                                    immune factors and may
increase oxidant stress. Chronic exercise
                                    appears to improve
immune competence. Lipids are powerful mediators of
                                    the immune system, and
they may modulate the immunosuppressive effects
                                    of strenuous exercise.
Studies have shown that a low-fat
                                    high-carbohydrate diet
(15% fat, 65% CHO, 20% protein of total
                                    calories), typically
eaten by athletes, increases inflammatory and
                                    decreases
antiinflammatory immune factors, depresses antioxidants, and
                                    negatively affects blood
lipoprotein ratios. Increasing total caloric
                                    intake by 25% to match
energy expenditure and the dietary fat intake
                                    to 32% in athletes
appears to reverse the negative effects on immune
                                    function and lipoprotein
levels reported on a low-fat diet. Increasing
                                    the dietary fat intake
of athletes to 42%, while maintaining caloric
                                    intake equal to
expenditure, does not negatively affect immune
                                    competency or blood
lipoproteins, whereas it improves endurance
                                    exercise performance at
60-80% of VO2max in cyclists, soldiers, and
                                    runners. There is no
evidence that higher fat intakes (up to 42% of
                                    total calories), in
calorically balanced diets, increase the risk of
                                    cancer, but studies are
needed to determine whether the beneficial
                                    effects of higher fat
diets in athletes reduce their rate of
                                    infections.

                                    Publication Types:
                                            Review
                                            Review, Tutorial

                                    PMID: 10910295 [PubMed -
indexed for MEDLINE]