Illness / Training

Khannie

This is /slightly/ OT, but here goes....

I've noticed that when I train, despite eating well, taking vitamins and sleeping well I tend towards getting run down, then sick when I do train. I don't feel like I'm overdoing it (At most, we're talking about 8 hours physical exercise a week here).

My weekly training / exercise at the moment usually includes 2.5 hours of MT, 2 hours of gym time (mostly weights / sit ups / push ups / that kind of thing), an hour of badminton and a fair bit of walking (usually an hour of fast paced walking monday to friday, unless it's raining). Come christmas I'll be hoping to add around 2 hours of bag time a week to this (santa is bringing me a bag for christmas).

I've been sick twice now in the last month and both times I could feel it coming.....slowly but surely creeping in.

Does this happen to anyone else? Or is it just the time of the year?

Millionaire

It could be the time of year.

Or if your new to training or increasing your level of training, that also could be a reason.

I train min of 4 but usually 5 sometimes 6 days a week on MT, and on an occassional odd day, I might feel tired or out of sorts. at this stage I am not afraid to take a day or 2 off rest, and that usually does the trick. plus I got a very demanding work schedule on top of this, which can result in burning the candle at both ends.

If you spend the weekend on the beer or eating crap junk, and then train hard say monday, you might feel sick with all the booze toxins working their way out of your system.

buck65

Try some echinacea with a vitamin c drink in the mornings, and maybe some milk thistle drops this helps boost the immune system.
Maybe a blood test might show up a trace of a virus also. I suffered from a virus for 2 years before I realised it wasn't the flu repeating!!

Pro. F

This could get really complicated as there are lots of different opinions on what is eating and sleeping well.

If you are training more now then you will need to eat more and sleep more. Most people over look sleep. IMO 8 hours is absolute minimum (unless you're really old). If you're training hard then it could be up to ten hours, or even more in unusual circumstances.

Vitamin C is important for the immune system. There's no point taking one big wallop of vitamin C as the body can't store it, so loads of little bursts throughout the morning is the best way (apparently it's not good in the late afternoon/evening).

Vitamin supplements, generally, won't make up for something missing in your diet so make sure you're getting all you need (easier said than done I know).

When you do feel sick or tired the best thing to do is take it easy for that day and go to bed early that night. However if you're stiff from training the day before then a little light work and stretching will help sort out the muscles.

And as buck65 said a trip to the doctor might be in order if you keep getting run down.

Colm_OReilly

Let's look at some of the things around training?

Are you showering/drying off soon after training? Or do you hang around let your body get cool afterwards while still in your sweaty t-shirt?

Are you covering up well on these walks? Scarfs really are a must if youre suceptable (sp?) to colds.

How good is your diet? Paleo good?

As far as getting sick twice what did you do to combat the illness when you were sick? Did you give yourself enough time to recover or stop taking medicine/got straight back training as soon as you were up to a minimal standard of health? Did you dive back into training? This could explain the relapse.

Any other stress lately?

Millionaire

Pro. F wrote:

IMO 8 hours is absolute minimum (unless you're really old). If you're training hard then it could be up to ten hours, or even more in unusual circumstances.
.

I get by on 6 hours or a little less sleep a night mon - fri, and train 1st thing in mornings. :cool:

Khannie

Thanks for the replies lads.

Millionaire wrote:

Or if your new to training or increasing your level of training, that also could be a reason.

I'm probably a bit of both of those things. I didn't play any organised sports as a kid. This is probably the fittest I've been since my early teenage years (I used to smoke, but quit 2.5 years ago).

Pro. F wrote:

If you are training more now then you will need to eat more and sleep more. Most people over look sleep. IMO 8 hours is absolute minimum (unless you're really old). If you're training hard then it could be up to ten hours, or even more in unusual circumstances.

I get 8 hours most nights. Never less than 6 at the moment. I'm trying to lose some weight (and slowly succeeding...about a pound a week on average for the last month) but we've a baby due in 5 weeks, so I expect my sleep regime to go to sh*t very quickly.

Colm_OReilly wrote:

Are you showering/drying off soon after training? Or do you hang around let your body get cool afterwards while still in your sweaty t-shirt?

When I'm at the bridgestone I change t-shirt afterwards as I'm usually dripping with sweat and heading out into the cold air afterwards (there aren't any showers in the current gym, not sure about the new one they're moving to). I walk from the bridgestone (one block past the top of O'Connell St.) to Pearse station to kill time (classes finish at 8.15, next train for me is 9.15) so I'm in the cold until the train arrives (typically 45 minutes) though I'm well wrapped up so I don't feel cold.

Colm_OReilly wrote:

Are you covering up well on these walks? Scarfs really are a must if youre suceptable (sp?) to colds.

Hat (until I get too hot) and gloves, but no scarf. I'll invest in one today. Sound advice.

Colm_OReilly wrote:

How good is your diet? Paleo good?

Not quite paleo good, but pretty reasonable. I eat nuts and seeds every day and a fair bit of veg and lean meat. We don't eat much pre-prepared food, so it's all fresh veg. I have weetabix or good quality muesli most mornings for breakfast. Today I cheated and had a scone and coffee. I cheat probably two days a week.

Colm_OReilly wrote:

As far as getting sick twice what did you do to combat the illness when you were sick? Did you give yourself enough time to recover or stop taking medicine/got straight back training as soon as you were up to a minimal standard of health? Did you dive back into training? This could explain the relapse.

It's definitely possible that I may have started back a bit too soon. I didn't take any medicine (cold both times, both with associated pain in the hole cold sores which are a real sign that I'm run down) except for vitamin supplements.

Colm_OReilly wrote:

Any other stress lately?

Work has been hectic over the last while alright, but not enough to account for the two illnesses in short succession. I think.


What strikes me from the replies is that it seems to be mostly just me. I suppose I'll have to just throttle back a bit sooner when I'm feeling run down. Cheers lads.