Athletes who train intensively or who have recently competed at an intense level are at increased risk of developing symptoms associated with respiratory infections (2-6) or temporary inflammation (linked to the cold, pollution, exertion … ). Repeated intense exercise actually leads to a temporary drop in white blood cells (leukocytes), making the immune system less effective.

Most of the time, this is just a simple cold, but these symptoms can disrupt training and impair short- and long-term performance.

Other factors can compromise an athlete’s immune system:

• competition-induced psychological stress;
• lack of sleep linked to exercise intensity and/or stress;
• exposure to extreme conditions (altitude, cold…) ;
• being under-nourished.

As a precaution, we recommend that anyone suffering from an auto-immune disease, or who is either awaiting or has undergone an organ transplant should not supplement with turkey tail.

In addition, anyone suffering from cancer should first consult their doctor to make sure that taking this supplement is compatible with their ongoing anti-cancer treatment.

1. Colostrum is a viscous liquid with a bitter taste and unpleasant odour: it is generally considered unsuitable for human consumption. Encapsulating it allows you to benefit from its rich composition without having to suffer its unpleasant taste.
2. Compared with milk, it is 10-20 times richer in vitamin A, 17 times richer in iron (7) and 50-300 times richer in anti-infectious agents such as lactoferrin, lysozyme and lactoperoxidase.
3. The use of DRCaps™ technology ensures optimal protection and absorption of colostrum’s fragile components.

Other effective medicinal mushrooms

If you’d like to benefit from other pro-immunity medicinal mushroom supplements available to buy at Supersmart, we’d draw your attention to one of our great classics: AHCC (Active Hexose Correlated Compound), a powerful immunostimulant extract of shiitake.

For a broader range of mushrooms, we’d recommend Organic MycoComplex. This supplement contains no fewer than 7 different mushrooms (reishi, chaga, cordyceps, etc.) It too provides valuable support in stimulating your immune system, as well as relieving fatigue.

The immunostimulant power of colostrum

Still on the subject of immunity, we couldn’t possibly end without mentioning colostrum. This natural substance is the first form of mother’s milk and is incredibly rich in antibodies and essential nutrients. You can benefit from its many properties by starting a course of Colostrum supplements.

Further enhance your fight against abnormal cells

And if you’re particularly interested in combatting deviant cells, we recommend combining Organic Turkey Tail supplementation with Saikosaponin A. Saikosaponin A is an anti-viral and anti-cancer substance derived from the herbaceous plant Bupleurum falcatum. A number of studies suggest it helps to prevent tumours and encourage their regression. (36-37)

Buy Organic Turkey Tail to stimulate the immune system.

We recommend taking 2 capsules a day, which equates to 1000mg of colostrum standardised to 30% immunoglobulin G.

Very few adverse side-effects have been reported in relation to taking colostrum, with the exception of mild gastrointestinal problems at the start of supplementation. The only contraindication to taking bovine colostrum concerns those allergic to dairy products.

Alongside colostrum supplementation, those engaged in intensive sports activity are advised to adopt the following measures (8) :

• eat a diet that meets their increased energy needs containing all essential nutrients;
• take care to consume enough protein to maintain or increase muscle mass;
• take a vitamin D supplement, from the beginning of autumn through to spring, to support healthy immune system function. Deficiency in vitamin D is common among athletes (9-10), especially those who do most of their training indoors;
• consume 30g-60g of carbohydrates an hour during intensive training sessions;
• take a zinc supplement a few days before the start of an important competition;
• avoid other sources of stress as much as possible on a daily basis;
• try to get good quality, restorative sleep (at least 7 hours a night) ;
• do not binge-drink.

This product’s capsules are composed of HPMC (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), a plant substance derived from cellulose. HPMC is widely used for medicines and dietary supplements. It contains no animal ingredients, is recognised as safe by health authorities and is considered more sustainable than synthetic alternatives.