Author: Modern Athlete

Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon & Half Marathon, Cape Town, Saturday 23 April

Eight of the top 10 men from last year’s ultra field have entered once again, as have seven of the top 10 women – many of them no doubt tempted back not only by the stunning course, but also by the greatly increased prize money on offer this year. This has also no doubt contributed to a large contingent of Ethiopian runners heading down to the Cape for the first time.

ULTRA CONTENDERS
Included in the men’s field are defending champion Mabuthile Lebopo of Lesotho, as well as his brother Warinyane (5th last year) and three other countrymen who finished in the top 10, Moeketsi Mosuhli (2nd), Teboho Sello (3rd) and Mpesela Ntlosoeu (8th), all of whom will be running for Mr Price. Another big name to look out for will be Stephen Muzhingi of Bluff Meats AC, the two-time Comrades Marathon defending champion, who finished fourth here last year – he may race Two Oceans again this year, but may also take it slightly easier to conserve his legs for the Big C, which takes place just five weeks after Two Oceans. The same could apply to 2010 Comrades runner-up Ludwick Mamabolo and Comrades third-placed runner Bongmusa Mthembu, both of whom will be running for Mr Price.

Also in the mix will be 2007 winner Bethuel Netshifhefhe (Bonitas) and 2006 winner Moses Njodzi (Mr Price, Zimbabwe), while an interesting name to pop up in the list of entries is that of Gert Thys (Mr Price), the SA marathon record holder who recently returned to racing after serving a ban for doping. He has unfortunately failed to finish several marathons in recent times, but if things go right for him on the day, he could possibly spring a surprise at Two Oceans. Other interesting names to look out for include several former Comrades winners, Bruce Fordyce and Shaun Meiklejohn (Nedbank), and Fusi Nhlapo and Sipho Ngomane (Mr Price).

In the women’s race, all eyes will be on last year’s top two, Olesya and Elena Nurgalieva, the Mr Price-sponsored Russian twins who have dominated the South African ultra-marathoning scene in recent years. Farwa Mentoor (Bonitas) will once again be expected to lead the local challenge, but it is likely she will also run conservatively to save herself for the Comrades, so watch for a challenge by South Africa’s Riana van Niekerk (6th last year) and Zimbabwe’s Samukeliso Moyo (5th), both running for Mr Price, while 2007 winner Madina Biktagirova of Russia and 2003 winner Simone Staicu of Hungary are also back this year.

Another medal hopeful is Two Oceans novice Marina Myshlanova (Mr Price), who finished third at Comrades last year, while an outside bet for a gold could be Gladys Lukhwareni (Transnet), best known for removing her shoes in the final kilometres of Two Oceans several years ago and then surprising the twins with a surge that almost caught them out. Gladys has not yet recaptured top form after serving a two-year suspension for doping, but could prove a surprise package this year.

HALF MARATHON HOPEFULS
In the 21km, six of last year’s top 10 men have re-entered, with Lusapho April returning to defend his title. He should face stiff competition from 2009 winner Stephen Mokoka (Transnet), who has been in scintillating form on road, track and cross-country courses in recent months, while another ‘dark horse’ to look out for could be local favourite and former SA Junior Steeplechase champion Anthony Godongwana (Celtics), who recently won the testing Tygerberg 30km race in Cape Town.

In the women’s race, five of last year’s top 10 have entered, including last year’s winner and course record holder Rene Kalmer of the Nedbank club. Other names to watch will be Irvette van Blerk, who raced clubmate Kalmer all the way to the line last year and also dipped under the old course record, and three-time winner Helalia Johannes of Namibia, while Annerien van Schalkwyk, Zintle Xiniwe and Christine Kalmer of Nedbank, Charne Bosman of Mr Price and Zimbabwean Tabitha Tstatsa could all feature as well.

Another two names to watch for in the half marathon will be the all-time favourites of SA road running, Frith van der Merwe (Run Walk For Life) and Grace De Oliveira (Boxer), both multiple gold medallists at Two Oceans and Comrades. They could put in a show for age category placings, and are sure to get a good cheer all along the course.

LOOKING AT THE STATS
• In the ultra, 75% of the field are men and 25% are women, 35% of the field will be doing the race for the first time, and 68% come from outside the Western Cape.
• 208 runners will get their permanent blue number for completing 10 ultras, while 1 004 runners participating in the 56km have their blue number already.
• In the half marathon, the men and women are split 50-50, just over half the field (54%) are novices doing the race for the first time, 41% come from outside the Western Cape, and 56% will be running in a temporary license.
• 69 runners will receive their light blue number for completing 10 half marathons, while 123 runners participating in the 21km have their light blue number already.
• Western Province has again provided the biggest contingent of runners taking part in both events with 9 826 participants, which is 43% of the total field.
• 1 269 runners (5.6% of the total field) hail from outside the borders of South Africa, representing 77 different countries, with the United Kingdom recording the biggest contingent of runners with 459 participants.
• 82.8% of all participants entered online.
• 38 runners in the 21km and 42 runners in the 56km will celebrate their birthday on race day.

CHARITY DRIVE PUTTING BEST FOOT FORWARD
At the time of writing, just under R200 000 had been raised for the Two Oceans Marathon’s official charity, the Bobs for Good Foundation, with race entry auctions fetching an additional R56 000, all of which will go towards putting locally-produced leather school shoes on the feet of needy learners around the country. Taking this worthy cause still further, race title sponsor Old Mutual recently launched a new campaign that will see the financial services company match every rand donated by the public to Bobs for Good, in a quest to raise R1-million for the charity and to get everyone to run for more than themselves on 23 April.

FUN RUN ENTRIES STILL OPEN
Entries for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Fun Runs on Friday 22 April will still be available right up to race day. Taking place on the UCT rugby fields, where the ultra and half marathon events will finish the next day, there will be several distances on offer: A 56m Nappy Dash for children aged three and under, a 300m Toddlers’ Trot for ages 4 to 6, a 2.5km and a 5km. Entries cost just R20! Entry forms for these fun runs will be available at the Expo at the Good Hope Centre on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 April, and at the UCT rugby fields on Friday 22 April.

MEDALS AND MONEY
There will be a wide variety of medals up for grabs at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and Half Marathon. The medal breakdown is as follows:

ULTRA
Gold: 1st 10 men & women
Silver: sub-4 hours
Sainsbury: sub-5 hours
Bronze: sub-6 hours
Blue: sub-7 hours (cut-off)

HALF MARATHON
Gold: 1st 10 men & women
Silver: sub-1 hour 30 minutes
Bronze: sub-3 hours (cut-off)

The Two Oceans has increased its prize money for 2011 by 47%, which will see the men’s and women’s winners in the Ultra each taking home R250 000 – up from R150 000 in 2010 – which makes the Two Oceans one of the highest-paying ultras in the country. The second- and third-placed male and female runners will each receive R125 000 and R65 000 respectively, up from last year’s R75 000 and R50 000, with prize money down to 10th as well as for leading age category placings. Furthermore, a R50 000 bonus is up for grabs if the men’s or women’s winner can beat the current course records of 3:03:44 and 3:30:36 respectively.

In the Half Marathon, the winners will each take home R20 000, with second winning R10 000 and third R5 000. A R10 000 bonus is up for grabs by the men’s or women’s winner if they can beat the current course records of 1:02:54 and 1:12:39 respectively. Furthermore, further incentive bonuses will see the winners take home an extra R20 000 if they can beat 1:02:00 and 1:12:00, or R15 000 for beating 1:02:30 and 1:12:30 respectively.

Total prize money on offer for the event is just under R1.5 million, with the half marathon prize-giving taking place at 09:00, while the ultra prize-giving will start at 13:45.

TRACK YOUR RUNNER
Attention all supporters! For the first time at the Two Oceans, you can track your runner’s progress during the race, and it’s so easy. Simply SMS your runner’s race number to 38119 and you will receive messages each time your runner passes over one of the timing mats along the route, including the finish line. Register now for just R10 – one race number per SMS.

IMPORTANT PARKING NOTICE
With parking being a big issue on race day, keep in mind that four schools in the area are offering parking at R30 per car: Westerford High, SACS Junior, SACS High and Groote Schuur High. With Westerford and the two SACS grounds usually filling up quite quickly, the organisers are urging runners to consider using Groote Schuur, which is quite near the start. Take Liesbeeck Parkway from either Cape Town or the northern suburbs side, and simply follow the marshals and signage. There will be a regular free shuttle service from the finish at UCT to all the schools – officials at the Expo will have more details on routes and timetables. Most importantly: Arrive early and avoid getting stuck in traffic!

CONTACT US
Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon
Tel: 021 657 5140
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.twooceansmarathon.org.za

Being one of the oldest tertiary education institutions in the country, the University of Stellenbosch, or Maties as most of us know their students, has come a long way since their first organised athletics meeting on 21 March 1885. At this meeting, events such as place kicking, drop kicking and cricket ball throwing were common place with a few more traditional events like long jump also thrown into the mix. With a history as long and varied as this, it goes without saying that Maties has had some noteworthy athletic achievements at its well-known Coetzenburg Stadium.

In the early days, the university’s athletics meetings took place in ‘Die Laan’ until the official pavilion was opened in 1898. In 1932 the famous Coetzenburg Stadium was inaugurated with the hosting of the Dalrymple competition. Facilities kept on improving and by 1941 it was already reported that Stellenbosch had one of the best athletics fields in the country, something that is still true to this day. The main pavilion was upgraded in 1958, and in 1974 the track was upgraded to a synthetic surface. Since then this great stadium has played host to many a great athlete.

WELL KNOWN MATIES
Mario Smit, head track and field coach, says it is extremely difficult to pinpoint only a few achievements that stand out in the club’s history, for the simply reason that there have been so many over the years! “Coetzenburg and Maties are synonymous with athletics. The first dream mile in the country, several national records and various world champions have been the results of our committed partnership with athletics.”

Some of the great names to hail from Stellenbosch go back as far as the 1920’s with Attie van Heerden who competed in the 400m hurdles semi-finals at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp. Johann Luckhoff claimed a silver and bronze medal during the 1934 British Empire Games and in 1935 Johan Schoeman ran a time of 9.8sec in the 100-yard and 22.1sec in the 220-yard events. Other Maties who represented South Africa abroad include Louis van Biljon at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, while John van Reenen, Danie Krogman, Clive Dale, Dicky Broberg, Danie Goosen and Willie Loots travelled in secret during the isolation years with manager Jannie Momberg and coach Wium Mostert to beat several international athletes. Special mention should also be made of Div Lamprecht, who was the first South African to ever run a dream mile.

In the 1970’s Maties athletics continued to flourish, with three of the seven South African athletes that featured in the top 12 in the world at that time having roots in Stellenbosch: Danie Malan (1st in the 1500m and 3rd in the 800m), John van Reenen (9th in the discus) and Ferdie le Grange (10th in the marathon). John set a world record in discus in 1975 at Coetzenburg with a throw of 68.48m.

PROSPEROUS TIMES
At the moment, Matie athletics is once again experiencing a successful period, with athletes like Janet Wienand (heptathlon), Cornel Fredericks (400m hurdles), Sibusisu Sishi and Shaun de Jager (400m), Peter Koopman (road running), Jacques Pretorius (1mile and 1600m) and Janice Josephs, Maryke Brits and Luvo Manyonga (long jump) delivering sterling performances. Luvo is not only the junior world champion in the long jump, but also holds the African and South African junior records in the event with a distance of 8.19m. Certainly a name to look out for in the future.

The road running section of the club has also been showing exciting and consistent growth, and Mario says they regularly have athletes that take part in the Two Oceans and Comrades Marathons in Maties’ colours, something that doesn’t happen regularly at most university athletics clubs. Therefore, road running is one of the club’s priorities and they want to continue developing this section of the club to improve performances and also become a force to be reckoned with on the South African road running scene.

TOP DOGS
A common sight at Coetzenburg is large numbers of top international athletes training there, and not only because of the quality of the facilities, says Mario. “They also think it is one of the most beautiful tracks in the world and just love training here! When international athletes feel this way about our facilities, it should be the aim of any South African athlete to also train on one of the best-known tracks in the country.”

The club offers competitive bursaries to prospective students and Mario says they are especially proud that their athletes not only perform on the track, but also in the lecture halls, with some good academic performances. Combine this with the quality of coaches like Wium Mostert, Johan Landsman, Joep Loots, Cyril Lawless, Chris Davids, Johan Fourie and Bennie Schlechter, and it is understandable why Maties keep achieving great results to build on the club’s rich history.

You’ve trained for months, dreamt about crossing the line in a certain time and naturally feel a bit nervous lining up at the start, so you decide to put your faith in the hands of a ‘bus driver’ or pacesetter with a little flag proclaiming he will help you reach your goal time. More often than not, experienced pacesetters will get you across the line in that promised time, but sadly and unavoidably, it has also happened that the ‘bus driver’ blows, or just paces the race wrongly, resulting in you either missing the finish time all together or having to run so fast in the last kilometres that you simply can’t keep up.

This happened a couple of years ago at Comrades when a sub-9-hour bus crossed the line with only seconds to go before the cut-off for a Bill Rowan medal. Many made it, but there were just as many who in the final kilometres were too exhausted and just not able to keep up with the drastic increased pace at that stage of the race. Similarly, it has happened that two pacing buses aiming for the same finishing time are quite far apart out on the route, leaving some runners unsure which bus to join. Getting in the wrong bus could mean the end of a dream for many…

IT’S ALL ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT
The most important thing is to choose an experienced pacesetter with a good idea of time management. Here the name Vlam Pieterse from Hartbeespoort immediately springs to mind. Vlam is one of the best known and experienced sub-12-hour pacesetters at Comrades, as well as other races, including the Two Oceans. Last year he was even awarded a Gold Fields Spirit of Comrades award for all his years of pacing.

Vlam has exemplary pacing ability and has helped many runners fulfil their dreams. This is evident in what many athletes have to say about him on Facebook:
• “I ran Comrades and I have a medal to show for it. I will never in my life forget that moment, and I have you (Vlam) to thank for it, you and your fabulous bus. – Linda Van Den Heever
• I was a novice and had no idea what to do. I can’t believe how you got us through, we trusted you the whole way and you did it! – Janine Schmidt
• You recently got me down my first Field’s Hill, to get me to my first Comrades medal. Awesome stuff! – Cathie Van Rooyen

Vlam himself is humble when asked about his pacing ability. In the last 15 years he has ensured that the last runner in the sub-12-hour bus at Comrades finishes within four minutes of the cut-off time. “The most important thing about a pacesetter is that he takes the profile of the race into consideration, that he runs consistently, and that he definitely does not start too quickly!” says Vlam. “I often say: ‘The more you sweat during the first half the more you’re going to bleed during the second half. Pace yourself.’”

Vlam says although anyone can become a pacesetter – you don’t need special permission from race organisers – there are a few important things to keep in mind when considering becoming a pacesetter. “A pacesetter needs to have a big mouth and he needs to be able to motivate and talk to people. On a long race it is normal for runners to just get fed up of running; sometimes your mind just tells to you give in. But if you have a pacesetter that motivates you, it becomes a bit easier. In the last few kilometres of a race, I often tell the runners in my bus to endure a little pain now, because a lot of glory awaits them. But if they give up they have to live with a year of disappointment.”

Another important consideration when becoming a pacesetter is to know your own abilities, warns Vlam. “If you see you are not going to make it for some reason or another, you have to be big enough to tell the runners in your bus or hand over your flag to someone else,” he says.

IN OR OUT
So who should get in – or out – a running bus? Novices benefit most from hooking up with a running bus, and of course, runners who just manage to finish a run within a cut-off time; those running on the edge, says Vlam. He admits that there are a lot of people that just don’t like running in buses. “Some people feel claustrophobic in a running bus… and of course, the sweat and smell is off-putting to many.”

So when considering hooking up with a bus, remember the following:
• If you are a novice and you want to finish your first big race such as Two Oceans or Comrades, chances are you will if you join a bus with an experienced pacesetter.
• You will meet amazing people and form lasting bonds after spending hours on the road with fellow runners. Those are the people that will carry you through the last few dark kilometres.
• When surrounded by fellow runners all pushing their boundaries, you are less likely to give up and start walking.
• If you don’t like crammed, sweaty and often smelly spots, get out!
• If you get irritated quickly and are too strong-willed, don’t get in a bus!

Lastly, when setting out in a bus you have to realise there is always a chance of the pacesetter not making it or things going wrong. For that reason, always have a back-up plan, and beready to go it alone.

Vlam will be in pacesetting action at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra, driving the sub-7-hour bus once again, and then will lead his sub-12 bus at Comrades. You’ll find him near the back of the pack.

The problem with ultra-marathons and long training runs is that we sometimes find ourselves tired and craving the end of the run, even when we are running in the company of friends. Typically, an hour or so into the long run, the light-hearted banter fades and the jokes have all been told. At this point, we run out of conversation and it becomes a proverbial mind game – and we haven’t even reached halfway yet! The solution to help us keep going? Gobble up the Ks by playing the alphabet game.

The rules are simple. You can play by yourself, but it’s more fun in a group. Agree on a topic and then take it in turns working through the alphabet, with each person coming up with the name of something in that category. Try girls’ names as an easy intro. You can kick off with A for Angela, the second person can chip in with Belinda, then number three offers Carol, and so on. You continue until you get to Zelda or Zara, and realise you have just burned up 2km without feeling it. Next try boys’ names (Adam to Zane, for instance). Capital cities are a test of high school geography and general knowledge, but after a few stutters you should be able to get from Athens to Zagreb in about 2-3km.

Animals go in a flash from Aardvark to Zebra, and we managed to demolish the Ou Kaapseweg climb one year with rock groups and musicians from Abba to Zee Zee Top, including some 1990s grunge bands no-one had ever heard of, but had to accept. The atomic scale of elements is interesting, if only because whoever gets W will throw in “water” hoping to get away with it, despite knowing it’s a compound of hydrogen and oxygen. Otherwise, argon to zinc is a reasonable 3km distance gobbler.

The dreaded X…
Hint: Try not to be in sequence for the tricky letter X – you can “pass,” but it’s an admission of defeat, which we runners hate. But if you do cars (Alpha Romeo to Zephyr), keep X-Trail up your sleeve, and for places in South Africa (Albertinia to Zeerust), you’ll probably get away with Crossroads if you draw the X.

One day we hit the Redhill climb when the novel suggestion of plants was put forward, but with a tongue-in-cheek bombshell: “Latin names only.” After the groans and death threats subsided, there was an eerie silence, until someone quipped “asparagus.” Laughter and insults followed. Then someone came up with “begonia.” We stuttered through the alphabet with some long pensive pauses, side arguments and challenges on some suspicious, invented Latin names, but after we finally worked through to Zucchini, we had passed over the top of the hill.

Whatever topic you agree on, it will divert your attention from the distance and bring the finish line closer. And you’ll be amazed how short the hills in Two Oceans or Comrades feel once you take your mind off them!

About the Author: Chris is a member of Atlantic Athletic Club in Cape Town and has run many ultra-marathons, including 22 Two Oceans Marathons, with a best time of 4:06:00.

Besides trying to have some fun on the run to take your mind off the distance, here are a few more great tried and trusted tips to get through an ultra-marathon in one piece. – BY SEAN FALCONER

1. Watch Your Step
Watch out for debris in the road at the start (black bags, water bottles, clothing, etc.). You don’t want to take a fall and end your race, or get trampled in the dark. Also watch out for cat-eyes and traffic cones, and discarded water sachets or banana peels along the route.

2. Run Your Own Race
Do not try to run the same pace as another runner for very long, unless it is someone employing the same race strategy as you. He or she may plan to push harder on uphill sections and go slower on the downhills, or even to walk all the uphills, whereas you don’t, and this will throw you off your own race strategy.

3. Don’t be Afraid to Walk
For most runners, the best way to get through an ultra-marathon is by taking regular walking breaks. They allow the muscles to recover and the heart rate to lower, while you can eat some much-needed refuelling food. Some runners aim for a set ratio of minutes running to minutes walking, e.g. 20:5 or 30:5, but you can do whatever suits you best. Just don’t wait too long for your first walk break – then it won’t be walking by choice, it will be walking because you simply can’t run any more.

4. Break it Up
You can make the distance feel less daunting by splitting the race into manageable portions of five or 10 kilometres. Reaching mini-milestones will make you feel like you’re making progress, and taking on the next 10km is so much better than the next 50!

5. Ask the Experts
Once into the race and settled into your comfortable race pace, try to stay with runners that have completed the race several times before – look for the permanent blue (Two Oceans) or green (Comrades) numbers. These runners will know the route, and know not to go too fast too soon. Learn from them, and even ask questions if you want.

We’ve all been there: You’ve trained hard for an event and then suddenly you get sick. In many cases this is simply because your body’s immunity is low as a result of intensive exercise. Compared to moderate physical activity, prolonged exercise (lasting longer than 90 minutes) and intensive exertion cause numerous changes in our immune function. Each bout of exercise causes physiological stress and a depression of the immune function, and post-exercise immune depression seems to be most pronounced when:
• we exercise for longer than 90 minutes,
• the exercise is of moderate-to-high intensity,
• the exercise is done without carbohydrate ingestion.

WHEN TO BE CAREFUL
The risk of illness or infection is highest three to 72 hours after prolonged exercise, with upper respiratory tract infection being the most common. Factors affecting the resistance to illness during or following an event include:
• Cumulative stress of intense training (exercise intensity and duration as well as fitness level of the athlete),
• Nutritional status,
• Training nutrition,
• Recovery nutrition.

Athletes who are at risk include those who have inadequate dietary intake, such as women who restrict their energy intake or vegetarians, as well as athletes who have excessive intakes, i.e. athletes who consume a large amount of supplements at the expense of micronutrient density or have unbalanced diets such as high carbohydrate diets at the expense of protein.

THE RIGHT DIET
Protein
Although uncommon, inadequate protein intake can impair immune function, leading to an increased incidence of infections. However, extreme deficiencies are unlikely to be seen in athletes, even in vegetarians with low protein intakes. Athletes who are overtrained or fatigued may benefit from slightly higher protein intakes.

Carbohydrates
Dietary carbohydrates are critical fuel for both muscle and immune cells. When you exercise or when your blood sugar is low due to training, there might be an increase in the release of the stress hormones, cortisol and adrenalin, and a reduction of growth hormone. When athletes train in a carbohydrate-depleted state, it affects their immune cells. It is therefore important to match your carbohydrate intake according to your training load.

There is evidence to suggest that carbohydrate intake during a marathon may decrease the incidence of post-marathon upper respiratory tract infections, although more research is needed. It is recommended that 30-60g of carbs be ingested per hour during prolonged exercise.

Vitamins
Vitamins A, C, E, B6, B12 and an adequate amount of the minerals iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, selenium and manganese are important in maintaining the immune system. Most Western diets meet these requirements, but eating foods rich in these minerals and vitamins are encouraged. Just remember, a mega-dosing on supplements such as Vitamin E and Zinc may have harmful effects on the immune system!

SOME TIPS
• Avoid deficiencies and ensure adequate intake of carbs, protein, fluids and micronutrients (Iron, Zinc and Vitamins B6, B12,C and E).
• Ensure adequate carbohydrate intake (30-60 grams per hour) during prolonged or high-intensity exercise sessions.
• Take a broad range multivitamin/mineral supplement to support restricted intake. (This is especially important when athletes are travelling or when dietary variety is limited.)
• Vitamin C and probiotic supplementation during intense training and prior to ultra-endurance events is important.
• Iron supplements should not be taken during periods of infection.
• Avoid dehydration, as saliva contains immune cells which help fight opportunist infections entering the digestive tract.
• A regular consumption of probiotics can result in fewer days of respiratory illness and lower severity of the symptoms of upper respiratory track infections.

PRACTICAL TIPS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ILLNESS
• Avoid getting a dry mouth, both during competition and rest.
• Avoid sharing drink bottles, cutlery or towels.
• Travelling athletes should only drink bottled water.
• Ensure good hygiene practices at all times, e.g. washing hands.
• Avoid putting your hands to your eyes.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Reduce social/life stresses.
• Avoid rapid weight-loss.
• Ensure adequate recovery between exercise sessions.

TOP FOODS TO HELP BOOST IMMUNITY
Plain low-fat cultures yoghurt is a good source of probiotics, as well as carbohydrates and protein.
Oat bran contains Beta-glucan, which has been shown to stimulate immune defences and increase resistance to a wide variety of infections.
Turmeric – the yellow pigment found in turmeric is called cucumin, which has been shown to modulate the activation of immune cells and regulate the expression of inflammatory cells.
Oily fish is an excellent source of high-biological value protein, iron and omega 3, all of which help regulate the immune system. Omega 3 also has an anti-inflammatory affect.
Garlic contains antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral properties that help fight infection, as well as properties which help boost immune cells.
Guava can provide as much as 228mg of vitamin C per 100g serving, 377mg per cup, and 126mg per fruit.