Should You Train or Ride While Sick?
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If you are sick as a dog, stay home!
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Word From the Mayo Clinic
According to the Mayo Clinic's website:
"Yes, you can continue with mild or moderate activity if you have a cold with no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by temporarily relieving nasal congestion. So how do you determine if you're too sick to exercise? Here's a good rule of thumb: If your symptoms are "above the neck" such as runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, or sore throat then you can proceed with your workout.
However, if your symptoms are "below the neck" such as chest congestion or tightness, hacking cough, or upset stomach, you should postpone your workout. Also, you shouldn't exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches. Rarely, exercising with a fever has been associated with inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis).
As always, use common sense. If you're not feeling well but still want to exercise, reduce the intensity of your workout and listen to your body. If your symptoms worsen with exercise, stop and rest. Missing a few days of exercise isn't the end of the world"
-so I guess I was partially correct.
However, if your symptoms are "below the neck" such as chest congestion or tightness, hacking cough, or upset stomach, you should postpone your workout. Also, you shouldn't exercise if you have a fever, fatigue or widespread muscle aches. Rarely, exercising with a fever has been associated with inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis).
As always, use common sense. If you're not feeling well but still want to exercise, reduce the intensity of your workout and listen to your body. If your symptoms worsen with exercise, stop and rest. Missing a few days of exercise isn't the end of the world"
-so I guess I was partially correct.
Surprising Research
A study published in the journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, which was directed by Thomas G. Weidner, Ph.D., director of athletic training programs at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana set out to answer the questions, 'Should you exercise when you are sick, does exercise worsen your symptoms, and what are the effects on athletic performance?' In this study, he infected 34 young men and women with a rhinovirus, then randomly assigned them to a group that would exercise or not. When all the data was in, Weider found no difference in symptoms between the group that exercised and the one that rested. And there was no difference in the time it took to recover from the colds. But when the exercisers assessed their own symptoms, they were more likely than non-exercisers to believe that they felt better.
The researchers also reported that having a cold had no effect on either lung function or exercise capacity. That's right, having a cold does not have a real effect on your exercise ability. You may feel sick but your body is still capable of doing what it usually does. Good news if you get sick just before a big race.
Proceed With Caution
If you exercise or ride with a cold, it's important to listen to your body. Sometimes cold medications such as decongestants can increase your heart rate. The combination of exercise and decongestants can cause your heart rate to be higher than normal. Much higher than you might expect if you weren't sick. You may become short of breath and have difficulty breathing. This is especially true when riding or racing since heart rate levels are usually much higher than during regular exercise.
If you have asthma and a cold, make sure you talk with your doctor before you ride or exercise. If your asthma symptoms are worse with a cold, you'll need to use caution. Exercising with a cold and asthma may cause increased respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. These symptoms may require you to use more asthma medications to open your airways. Overuse of asthma medications can also cause your heart rate to increase.
Can Exercise Reduce Your Risk of Catching a Cold?
While moderate training has shown to reduce your risk of catching a cold make sure you take time for rest and recovery after periods of intensive training. Your immune system fights most effectively when it isn't stressed. Research confirms that a moderate exercise program may increase immunity and your resistance to respiratory infections. But scientists also note that athletes who train rigorously without recovery are more susceptible to viral infections like colds or flu. Coach Seiji said it well in this article .
While immunity is boosted when you work out moderately, the opposite may be true for elite or high-performance athletes such as motocross athletes who push their physical limits with intense training without sufficient recovery. For example, there's evidence of suppressed immunity during times of prolonged and intense exercise training with an increased number of upper respiratory tract infections. When workouts become stressful or excessive, there can be decreased amounts of white blood cells circulating throughout your body and increased amounts of the stress hormone cortisol, which may inhibit the ability of certain immune cells to work properly.
Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that all of this research was conducted with the common cold. Do NOT assume that this means exercise is a good thing regardless of how sick you are. I don't want to see people at the gym killing themselves on the treadmill while sick with the flu or strep throat. I'm glad I did some research and found that it's okay to exercise with some illnesses. Now I just need to call my rider back and tell him to meet me at the gym....today is still a training day!
Until next time, good luck with your training and remember, VT can always be found on the Virtual Trainer Expert Forum. In addition, be sure and check out the Racer X Virtual Trainer archive section. Your complete one-stop information zone for motocross fitness.
A study published in the journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, which was directed by Thomas G. Weidner, Ph.D., director of athletic training programs at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana set out to answer the questions, 'Should you exercise when you are sick, does exercise worsen your symptoms, and what are the effects on athletic performance?' In this study, he infected 34 young men and women with a rhinovirus, then randomly assigned them to a group that would exercise or not. When all the data was in, Weider found no difference in symptoms between the group that exercised and the one that rested. And there was no difference in the time it took to recover from the colds. But when the exercisers assessed their own symptoms, they were more likely than non-exercisers to believe that they felt better.
The researchers also reported that having a cold had no effect on either lung function or exercise capacity. That's right, having a cold does not have a real effect on your exercise ability. You may feel sick but your body is still capable of doing what it usually does. Good news if you get sick just before a big race.
Proceed With Caution
If you exercise or ride with a cold, it's important to listen to your body. Sometimes cold medications such as decongestants can increase your heart rate. The combination of exercise and decongestants can cause your heart rate to be higher than normal. Much higher than you might expect if you weren't sick. You may become short of breath and have difficulty breathing. This is especially true when riding or racing since heart rate levels are usually much higher than during regular exercise.
If you have asthma and a cold, make sure you talk with your doctor before you ride or exercise. If your asthma symptoms are worse with a cold, you'll need to use caution. Exercising with a cold and asthma may cause increased respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. These symptoms may require you to use more asthma medications to open your airways. Overuse of asthma medications can also cause your heart rate to increase.
Can Exercise Reduce Your Risk of Catching a Cold?
While moderate training has shown to reduce your risk of catching a cold make sure you take time for rest and recovery after periods of intensive training. Your immune system fights most effectively when it isn't stressed. Research confirms that a moderate exercise program may increase immunity and your resistance to respiratory infections. But scientists also note that athletes who train rigorously without recovery are more susceptible to viral infections like colds or flu. Coach Seiji said it well in this article .
While immunity is boosted when you work out moderately, the opposite may be true for elite or high-performance athletes such as motocross athletes who push their physical limits with intense training without sufficient recovery. For example, there's evidence of suppressed immunity during times of prolonged and intense exercise training with an increased number of upper respiratory tract infections. When workouts become stressful or excessive, there can be decreased amounts of white blood cells circulating throughout your body and increased amounts of the stress hormone cortisol, which may inhibit the ability of certain immune cells to work properly.
Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that all of this research was conducted with the common cold. Do NOT assume that this means exercise is a good thing regardless of how sick you are. I don't want to see people at the gym killing themselves on the treadmill while sick with the flu or strep throat. I'm glad I did some research and found that it's okay to exercise with some illnesses. Now I just need to call my rider back and tell him to meet me at the gym....today is still a training day!
Until next time, good luck with your training and remember, VT can always be found on the Virtual Trainer Expert Forum. In addition, be sure and check out the Racer X Virtual Trainer archive section. Your complete one-stop information zone for motocross fitness.
