Echinacea for Athletes
Echinacea (Echinacea spp., Asteraceae) is best known for
its reputation for shortening the duration of colds or flu when
used at the first sign of illness. The immune-enhancing properties
of the root and herb have been the subject of hundreds of scientific
studies. Another immune system application for echinacea was recently
reported by a group of sports medicine specialists, who studied
the effects of echinacea, magnesium supplements and placebo on
immune function in 42 male athletes undergoing an exhausting triathlon
sprint (Berg et al., 1998).
Exercise generally stimulates immune function, but exhaustive
exercise actually suppresses some aspects of immune response,
leading to an increased risk of infection.
For the study, participants took placebo, 43 mg of magnesium,
or 8 ml of the pressed juice of Echinacea purpurea (L.)
Moench for 28 days before the triathalon (Echinacin®, Madaus
AG, Germany). Magnesium was selected as a reference nutritional
supplement required for optimal muscle function. The researchers
tested blood samples for a wide variety of immunological factors
at baseline, after 28 days of treatment, and one and 20 hours
after finishing the race.
The investigators found several significant differences between
the echinacea group and the others. "The results of this
double-blind, placebo-controlled study demonstrate that oral administration
of the pressed juice of Echinacea purpurea for 28 days
to trained athletes clearly modulates the subsequent changes in
immunological variables induced by participation in a triathlon
sprint." The placebo-treated group showed classic increases
in natural killer (NK) cell and total T-lymphocyte counts, while
the echinacea group experienced no significant changes in NK cell
count and a slight reduction in the total number of T-cells. All
of these changes, however, were small, and "lay within the
range of baseline variations." The echinacea group also demonstrated
significant decreases in interleukin 2R (IL-2R) in blood and urine,
and increased IL-6, all suggesting a protective effect of echinacea
against exertion-induced immunosuppression.
The most impressive results, however, were not those measured
in the lab, but those observed by the athletes themselves. During
the intensive training, three of the 13 athletes in the magnesium
group and four of 13 in the placebo group developed colds, while
none of those taking echinacea were affected. Even more impressive,
those in the magnesium group missed a total of 13 days of training
because of infections (colds), compared to 24 days in the placebo
group. Those in the echinacea group missed no days of training.
This study highlights an important new use of echinacea in sports
medicine. Due to the limited size of this pilot study, the authors
recommend further clinical trials to validate the results. -
Rob McCaleb
[Berg A, Northoff H, König
D, Weinstock C, Grathwohl D, Parnham MJ, Stuhlfauth I, Keul J. Influence
of Echinacin (EC31) treatment on the exercise-induced immune response
in athletes. Journal of Clinical Research 1998; 1: 367-380.] |
