Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

As much as I love to cycle my doctor during the week has told me to cut back
Since June I have been healthy for a total of six weeks, a period from about mid september to last weekend.

During this time I've had the flu, a chest infection and respiratory infection. Yay go the immune system. On top of that are seasonal allergies that cause asthma, which unfortunately cannot be kept under 100% control, no matter what I take, anti histamines or symbicort or whatever I've been prescribed at the time. I've even tried natural remedies like apple cider vinegar for the hayfever.

It has become annoying, each time I build up my fitness another illness. My usual frequency of illness was once every 2 years but thrice in a short period

Just wondering if anyone has had similar health issues and what you did to help the body get back to it's "normal" state apart from the normal suspects like garlic or mushrooms?

Thanks.

Yes I was sick all the time ( as you may remember being an old timer here ) ... nose operation fixed everything in one painful hit. Amazingly successful for me, after being sicck and on antibiotics every month to 6 weeks for 3 or 4 years I have hardly had a cold since December 2009 .

toolonglegs wrote:Yes I was sick all the time ( as you may remember being an old timer here ) ... nose operation fixed everything in one painful hit. Amazingly successful for me, after being sicck and on antibiotics every month to 6 weeks for 3 or 4 years I have hardly had a cold since December 2009 .

How could I forgot those times for you. Pretty bad indeed. Tis good that your are healthy, away from the westie smog and all.

I had nasal surgery to remove polyps a few years ago but nah not the success I was after.

Damn it's annoying getting huge power PB's, then the health getting in the way grrrrrrr.

How fit are you because this has a very real impact on your immune system.

When I was racing and within I would say 15% of peak fitness I would catch every known virus to mankind.

Foo

or young kids in the house at peak fitness

foo on patrol wrote:How fit are you because this has a very real impact on your immune system.

When I was racing and within I would say 15% of peak fitness I would catch every known virus to mankind.

Foo

I am/was until a few days ago pretty darn fit close to peaking.
I was in the midst of a periodization training plan (a la Joe Friel) and in the 2nd block of the build phase, very close to peaking, so fitness had soared of late.


Just slightly on a slightly different tangent, what impact does high intensity low volume have on the immune system?
I have yet to read any material on the net concerning this, whereas high volume can depress the system for up to 72 hours afterwards.

toolonglegs wrote:or young kids in the house at peak fitness

Ahhhh kids and the germ playground

It's important to remember that over-training will make one more susceptible to infections. Often more is not always better. All depends on the individual.

sogood wrote:It's important to remember that over-training will make one more susceptible to infections. Often more is not always better. All depends on the individual.

That's why my doctor has told me cut back on cycling because my lifestyle cannot support it, even though I love it.One of the other issues is, if I do too little, I get sick, sedentary induced asthma as one of the symptons (unusual I know) Trying to find the right balance on the health tight rope is extremely difficult, and really the GP can't give an exact amount I can or can't do.
For the moment I am looking for dietary and/or cycling changes that could help more than hinder my immune system but not lose too much of the fitness I have gained. Hopefully I can find a solution.

KillerHeadWind wrote:

foo on patrol wrote:How fit are you because this has a very real impact on your immune system.

When I was racing and within I would say 15% of peak fitness I would catch every known virus to mankind.

Foo

I am/was until a few days ago pretty darn fit close to peaking.
I was in the midst of a periodization training plan (a la Joe Friel) and in the 2nd block of the build phase, very close to peaking, so fitness had soared of late.


Just slightly on a slightly different tangent, what impact does high intensity low volume have on the immune system?
I have yet to read any material on the net concerning this, whereas high volume can depress the system for up to 72 hours afterwards.

I can't help you here as this sort of thing was after my time!

Foo

Colostrum.................

greyhoundtom wrote:Colostrum.................

Thanks, never heard of it before.

Interesting reading up on it.

I had a lingering cold a few months ago and then a week ago I got a pretty sudden fever and severe throat infection. Doctor gave me some antibiotics which cleared up the throat infection basically overnight so I've been exercising pretty hard this last week. Unfortunately my course of antibiotics is finished and my sore throat feels like it's coming back again

I always thought that being fitter would make you more resistant to disease but that doesn't seem to be the case...

AndrewBurns wrote:I always thought that being fitter would make you more resistant to disease but that doesn't seem to be the case...

Nup, it just makes you more proned to catching these nasty things.

Foo

foo on patrol wrote:

AndrewBurns wrote:I always thought that being fitter would make you more resistant to disease but that doesn't seem to be the case...

Nup, it just makes you more proned to catching these nasty things.

Foo

Yeah especially when people you ride with accidently spit on ya. Arrrgggghhh

Ah the joys of bunch riding!

Foo

Had the same problem the last couple of weeks. My last ride was on the 3rd of October

Chest infection, plus something else (I'm sure) because it's still lingering. Still coughing up phlegm and blowing my nose every 15 minutes. I've almost forgotten what it's like to feel healthy. Blegh. I've tried to rest as much as possible but my work days are long and quite physical so it's hard to get the proper rest.

I can't help you I'm afraid Killer, but I know how you feel. My last 6 months has been left knee/ITB issues, flu, bronchitis, right knee/ITB. Sometimes you just get a good kick!!

My doctor gave me a whopper of a wellness kit with the bronchitis. Antibiotics, corticosteroid inhaler, fess nasal spray, and forte expectorant - either max recommended or more than recommended dosage. I was mostly good in a week and he let me exercise again, but this came with great advice - do everything in halves and rebuild from there. Half pace, half distance, half as often. I rebuilt over 4 weeks and it worked a treat.

I did see a today tonight article on Botox recently. As a migraine sufferer I was interested in these developments, but one thing that piqued my interest was trials using a Botox gel for hay fever. It was applied with a cotton bud up the nose and apparently in "freezing" the muscles, it opens up the passages. Trials are looking good so there may be some joy on the horizon. A friend of mine resorts to cortisone injections each year to beep her hay fever at bay so that normal antihistamines can then work. My sister in law has the polyp removal surgery about every 5 years, takes lots of tablets, and hasn't been able to smell anything for the last 15 years - so far she hasn't investigated the cortisone option as she didn't like the sound of it (but thinks the surgery is a more viable option?!).

KillerHeadWind wrote:Just wondering if anyone has had similar health issues and what you did to help the body get back to it's "normal" state apart from the normal suspects like garlic or mushrooms?

A lot of bad luck there Killer. I can only advise that you stay away from the magic mushrooms
Hope your heath improves quickly

Going to ride a Heffron tuesday night race tomorrow doped up to my eyeballs on antibiotics, hope the testers don't turn up!!!!

Am I stupid for wanting to ride hard while taking antibiotics for a persistent sore throat?

AndrewBurns wrote:Going to ride a Heffron tuesday night race tomorrow doped up to my eyeballs on antibiotics, hope the testers don't turn up!!!!

Am I stupid for wanting to ride hard while taking antibiotics for a persistent sore throat?

Simple answer YES

Foo

foo on patrol wrote:

AndrewBurns wrote:Going to ride a Heffron tuesday night race tomorrow doped up to my eyeballs on antibiotics, hope the testers don't turn up!!!!

Am I stupid for wanting to ride hard while taking antibiotics for a persistent sore throat?

Simple answer YES

Foo

Well I did it anyway I think I'm going to take it easy for a while now though...

I normally spend part of winter off sick EVERY YEAR. Cough, throat, chest infection.. something... but since having to change diet to avoid stuff I don't digest well, and now eating huge amounts of veggies and fruit as my fuel source... I've never been healthier. I might have the smallest trace of a sore throat and then it's gone.

They diet people always say that concentrated carbs (rice/potato/sugar etc.) are 'nutrient poor', but this last three months has really shown me that my poor health was my own fault.

Planned Chrissy present to self - decent juicer. So I can get the nutrients without the fibre.

Insufficient protein is also supposed to supress the immune system. Following the recommended protein intake means I'm eating about half a Kg of meat every day now. It's O.K. - it's Kanga, it's healthy.

twizzle wrote:Planned Chrissy present to self - decent juicer. So I can get the nutrients without the fibre.

Have a read up on Champion Juicers. We bought one last year, not for juice though!! We buy mango in bulk, freeze it, then put it through the Champion to make sorbet. Quick and easy. They are wonderful juicers and flexible in that you can make juice, sorbet, nut butter etc.

I'd never go back to the breville now.

twizzle wrote:
Insufficient protein is also supposed to supress the immune system. Following the recommended protein intake means I'm eating about half a Kg of meat every day now. It's O.K. - it's Kanga, it's healthy.

All proteins are not the same as the word “protein” can be equated to the word “container”.

It is the amino acids in the protein and the type of amino acids that the specific protein contains that is important.

For good health it is usually best if protein from various sources is ingested, as this will provide a better spread of the amino acids required for good health.

The protein in both eggs and milk contain essential amino acids not found in meat protein. The amino acids found in egg protein in particular, are essential to a healthy immune system.