Wellmune Immune Study Targets Athletes’ Immune Health

According to Biothera (Eagan, MN) a new clinical study conducted by the University of Houston indicates that Wellmune WGP beta-glucan immune-health ingredient may enable recreational and elite athletes to exercise longer and harder, with less risk of the immune-system suppression that normally occurs following high-intensity exercise.

The company says that the immune system’s effectiveness drops sharply below normal state two to six hours after strenuous exercise, and gradually recovers within 24 hours.

“During this ‘open window’ period, the athlete is more susceptible to infection, which may result in lost training time, as well as missed work or school,” stated Brian McFarlin, PhD, FACSM, associate professor of exercise physiology, nutrition, and immunology, Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Houston.

He said that, as measured by monocyte concentrations and cytokine levels, Wellmune WGP supplementation was found to increase immune protection before and after exercise.

“The effect of Wellmune WGP on LPS-stimulated IL-4 and IL-5 production suggests that leukocytes were primed for higher plasma cytokines that directly mediate innate and humoral-dependent immune responses,” McFarlin stated. “Our lab has tested numerous compounds, but Wellmune is the first to prevent alterations in monocyte and key cytokines following high-intensity exercise.”

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 60 recreational athletes. The Wellmune WGP group was given a daily dose of 250 mg for 10 days. Subjects performed sustained aerobic exercise via exercise bicycle. Blood samples were drawn at the start of the study, as well as immediately before and after the exercise session, and then again two hours post-exercise. A crossover studied followed, after an eight-day “washout” period after which subjects repeated the 10-day supplementation period (either Wellmune WGP or placebo) and performed the aerobic exercise again.

The research results were presented at the International Society of Exercise Immunology’s symposium, Exercise and Immunity in Athletic Performance and a Healthy Life.