Despite the numerous positive effects of physical exercise, some negative physiological changes occur in
long-lasting heavy training with transient dysfunction of the immune system, increased inflammation, and
oxidative stress. This is the case of elite athletes, who train intensively to compete at the highest levels.
However, these athletes can counteract the negative effects of heavy training, reducing acute and chronic
inflammations and supporting the immune system, with nutritional and supplementation countermeasures. For
this purpose, macronutrient manipulation with an appropriate use of certain supplements can be considered as an
intervention to reduce exercise-induced immune changes and inflammatory risk. For example, branched-chain
amino acid (BCAA) supplementation may promote such immune responses in skeletal muscle. Furthermore,
micronutrients play an important role in immune function; in particular, the antioxidant capacity of several
dietary micronutrients (e.g., tocopherols, docosahexaenoate, and flavonoids) is very interesting to support the
endogenous antioxidant defense systems of the athletes, counterbalancing the negative effects of oxidative
damage due to free radicals. Some of these nutrients have potential anti-inflammatory properties as assessed by
the attenuated levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP)