Always sick after few weeks training?

Curlypinkie

Hi all,
I've searched the forum if anyone has posted about this before. Maybe I'm all alone with this problem, well here goes.

I've been going to gyms for as long as I remember, never been too dedicated but lately, say the few last years I've been really into it. The thing is every 2 or so weeks I catch a cold or another infection. And I don't mean runny nose or something, it's a full blown, 'runny nose, cough, sneeze, sore body sensation'.
I went to the doctors, took tests and it showed I have no problems with my immune system and I'm fit as a fiddle.
Also I would get laryngitis, chest infections or sinus infections on a reguar basis (we're talking once every 2 or 3 months) which had to be treated with antibiotics and/or penicillin. After a bout of sickness like that I've always given myself 3 or 4 days to definitely recover and then quietly hit the gym again.
I would go easy first but after a week I'd be back to my stamina training (effort pulse etc, or whatever it's called in english). And then I'd catch something again. Going in nasty circles!

Needless to say I gave up the gym 2 years ago. But I can't sit still so I started running. The infections were gone! I trained 3 -4 times a week, sometimes doing a bit of yoga at home for stretching purposes and to vary a bit.

But in April this year I hurt my back. It took me ages to re-cuperate from that (I walked mostly, but that didn't help my fitness and i did it only because I like it and it helped my back).
So I joined the gym start of this month. And guess what after a week and a half (!!!!!) I got the laryngitis from hell. I've been off sick work for a week and first on antibiotics then penicillin because the former didn't work.

I don't know what to do. I can't go running because my back still isn't 100% and I'm SO scared of going back to the gym because I really can't be off work anymore and I really don't want to get sick again.

Is there something I have missed? Something I'm doing wrong?

Sorry for the rant but I really want help. I like keeping fit and this actually depresses me a bit. I'm a very active person. Oh, and I've just spent 800 on the gym. I've been there maybe 4 or 5 times and I want to use it more.........

Any input, please?

Lothaar

This happens to me all the time too. I don't know what the solution is. I tend to catch something after about 6 weeks of hitting the gym regularly, which puts me out for a week and then there's another week or so of taking it easy.

It may have something to do with getting enough sleep (which I don't).

I'm curious to see the answers from our resident fonts of wisdom.

eclectichoney

Hmm might have something to do with gyms being full of other people breathing (!) and sweating all over the place, who may be carrying bugs themselves?? Can't say I have had that problem myself touch wood.

c - 13

Do you change your eating patterns when you go to the gym ?

I used to do that, go to the gym, under eat drastically, get sick because I was a bit weak from the lack of food, quit, wait a few months, repeat cycle.

Curlypinkie

It would not be the food or lack of. I eat like a horse and healthily all the time and tend to eat even more when exercizing, hah.

And I sleep 7-8 hours a day. Sometimes less but that would be very rare....
Its good to know I'm not the only one with this problem!

celestial

My first question is why did you spend 800 quid on the gym when it clearly making you ill!! The fact that you have no problems from running training would strongly suggest this. Who knows - it could just be the combo of sweat and germs in the air that doesn't agree with you. So....

I would do two things:

Give up the gym and focus on training outside of there - lots of ways of doing this as you've already found out.

Get a second opinion from another doc? Regardless of training, it ain't normal to get sick like that so often.

Curlypinkie

celestial wrote: »

My first question is why did you spend 800 quid on the gym when it clearly making you ill!! The fact that you have no problems from running training would strongly suggest this. Who knows - it could just be the combo of sweat and germs in the air that doesn't agree with you. So....

I would do two things:

Give up the gym and focus on training outside of there - lots of ways of doing this as you've already found out.

Get a second opinion from another doc? Regardless of training, it ain't normal to get sick like that so often.

The reason for my back injury was the running.
This gym has a swimming pool, good facilities and is just downstairs from where I work. In Dublin, these are the prices if you want something suitable... and with a pool.

I wanted to start swimming (again for the back) but thought, well, I like it exercising so why not get a programme while I'm here....

Also, the whole gym environment is for me very motivating. I have friends who go and we usually go together, doing an exercise video at home works if I can't be bothered going out in a thundery storm but it just is not fun enough.

So apart from walking, can't really do much can I?

Where I'm from we have an excellent health service and I go for say bi-annual check ups with blood testing the lot. So twice, year on year I've been going and all my blood levels and everything else is just fine. The only thing that's 'wrong' with me is I have slightly low blood pressure.

Roper

Diet? Multivitamin? Sleep?

Any of these off?

Curlypinkie

Multivitamins. Well, I used to take them but don't do it anymore. I've heard you can OD on certain vitamins and it's not good for your liver. Besides, I've got a really well balanced diet, I quit smoking for good 3 months ago (was down to 1 a day and a few on the weekends for the last year), so it's really strange.

hoppo254

I was suffering in the same way , now i have supplemented my diet with a Barocca tablet after training and it seems to have helped.

You need to make sure you are eating post training when you immune systems is low , try maybe bring some fruit or a shake to the gym with you to eat afterwards.

Curlypinkie

Thanks Hoppo, I'll try that. Yeah, I would usually be going after work and maybe my blood sugar levels are low then or something. If I eat too soon before hand, stitch obviously....
I'll bring something to snack on afterwards.

kevpants

Quick question. When you get sick, do you generally end up on an antibiotic? Laryngitis sounds like it might need one.

I'm not saying you don't need the antibiotics but I have experience of someone getting into kind of sickness cycle where they go drom one ilness to the next and I'm convinced it was the treatment of the preceeding ilness that weakened them for the next.

I've noticed the more you can stay away from antibiotics the less ilnesses you tend to contract that require them. If that makes sense.

Colm_OReilly

Can you post your diet please?

What exactly are you doing in the gym?

Curlypinkie

kevpants wrote: »

Quick question. When you get sick, do you generally end up on an antibiotic? Laryngitis sounds like it might need one.

I'm not saying you don't need the antibiotics but I have experience of someone getting into kind of sickness cycle where they go drom one ilness to the next and I'm convinced it was the treatment of the preceeding ilness that weakened them for the next.

I've noticed the more you can stay away from antibiotics the less ilnesses you tend to contract that require them. If that makes sense.

See that's the weird part. When I did the running, I didn't get sick at all, well apart from the occasional headcold, but nothing serious.

ANd now, a few weeks after starting a new gym, after over a year I need them again. And I tried to ignore the sickness and didn't go to the doctors for the first week. Big mistake. I would have been better off starting the treatment the first few days. In stead I've been in bed for ages and off work with a really sore throat and on boards all day, lol.

celestial

Curlypinkie wrote: »

See that's the weird part. When I did the running, I didn't get sick at all, well apart from the occasional headcold, but nothing serious.

ANd now, a few weeks after starting a new gym, after over a year I need them again. And I tried to ignore the sickness and didn't go to the doctors for the first week. Big mistake. I would have been better off starting the treatment the first few days. In stead I've been in bed for ages and off work with a really sore throat and on boards all day, lol.

During your bi-annual check ups, what do they actually test for? You don't have to tell us but I'm just reflecting on this - it's easy to assume that it is the gym that is causing this problem - but it could be that you are suffering from something that just hasn't been picked up yet - so it is the gym enviroment that is aggravating it rather than actually causing it.

Curlypinkie

Well, I'm not a doctor, but basically any bacterial infections, blood sugar levels, red bloodclot levels (or whatever it's called)? It's pretty standard and this condition is not new for me, so every time I go I always complain and always get checked for allsorts.
And since I'm in my late 20ies I can't have my tonsils removed either! Besides those infections are sometimes chesty as well.

God I sound like a total hypochondriac! I'm just thinking if it is linked to the gym, and if other people experience it as well then maybe it's not so unusual after all....

Khannie

This used to happen to me. I posted about it in the SD/MA forum a while back (I'd say about 18 months ago. Actually just dug it out here.). It has stopped now and I train a _lot_. Can't remember the last time I was sick.

So...here are the things I've changed:

Diet: I eat really well now. This has to be the single biggest factor. Slow release carbs. Lots of fruit and veg. Lots of lean protein. Healthy fats. I may have thought I was eating well back then, but I really am now. Really examine your diet. Post it up here if you can / will (be warned...your diet is probably worse than you think).
Fitness: I'm fit now, but I wasn't then. You're looking at putting less stress on your body when your fit IMO because you recover that bit faster. This may be BS, but I train /hard/ yet don't feel totally ruined an hour after a session. I eat for post workout recovery now too. I'm sure this helps.
Supplements: I take a zinc and magnesium supplement just before bed time.
Water: Plenty of it.
Sleep: I make sure I sleep properly these days. 7+ hours a night but I'd aim for 8.

Honestly though...I partially think it was just a phase that I needed to go through. My body was weak from years of inactivity and I was asking a lot of it. If you've just quit smoking (3 months ago) then you're still recovering from that too.

Anyway....stick with it. You'll get there.

siochain

good diet and lots of water,

Supps: lots of vit c 1000mg X 2, CQ10, B complex, rhodiola.

Train at least 3 * 60 mins and 2 * 90 sessions per week varying between mid to very high intensity.

Can honestly say I can’t remember the last time I had a cold, even when the rest of the house or those in the office had one.

celestial

Khannie wrote: »

This used to happen to me. I posted about it in the SD/MA forum a while back (I'd say about 18 months ago. Actually just dug it out here.). It has stopped now and I train a _lot_. Can't remember the last time I was sick.

So...here are the things I've changed:

Diet: I eat really well now. This has to be the single biggest factor. Slow release carbs. Lots of fruit and veg. Lots of lean protein. Healthy fats. I may have thought I was eating well back then, but I really am now. Really examine your diet. Post it up here if you can / will (be warned...your diet is probably worse than you think).
Fitness: I'm fit now, but I wasn't then. You're looking at putting less stress on your body when your fit IMO because you recover that bit faster. This may be BS, but I train /hard/ yet don't feel totally ruined an hour after a session. I eat for post workout recovery now too. I'm sure this helps.
Supplements: I take a zinc and magnesium supplement just before bed time.
Water: Plenty of it.
Sleep: I make sure I sleep properly these days. 7+ hours a night but I'd aim for 8.

Honestly though...I partially think it was just a phase that I needed to go through. My body was weak from years of inactivity and I was asking a lot of it. If you've just quit smoking (3 months ago) then you're still recovering from that too.

Anyway....stick with it. You'll get there.

Out of interest, what is your typical day's diet now Khannie?

Khannie

celestial wrote: »

Out of interest, what is your typical day's diet now Khannie?

Making weight at the moment for a fight on Sunday, so not my "normal" diet.

Most days for breakfast recently I've had porridge with some whey, a bit of milk to cool it down and a spoonful of olive oil. If I'm not trying to lose weight it'd be museli with whey and skimmed milk or pancakes that I make with oats, whey / casein, eggs and walnuts. Sometimes an egg based breakfast (omelette or scrambler or something).

Mid morning snack on some nuts and fruit.

Salad for lunch (usually chicken, some coleslaw , mixed peppers, broccoli, tomato).

Mid afternoon snack of tin of tuna or something similar. Some fruit somewhere along the way for sure. Usually some nuts in here too.

Whatever dinner I'm given. This is usually bang on thanks to my lovely wife - lean protein, plenty of veg, usually some starchy stuff (rice or potatoes) but I'd eat less of this.

I'd typically have 2-3 cups of coffee a day and would have some kind of snacky thing with them. Half a museli bar from lidls for the most part recently. Otherwise one of the pancakes I mentioned above. I allow myself that little badness.

Plenty of water throughout the day.

maradona10

Quote
"Also I would get laryngitis, chest infections or sinus infections on a reguar basis (we're talking once every 2 or 3 months) which had to be treated with antibiotics and/or penicillin. After a bout of sickness like that I've always given myself 3 or 4 days to definitely recover and then quietly hit the gym again."

Quote
"The reason for my back injury was the running.
This gym has a swimming pool, good facilities and is just downstairs from where I work. In Dublin, these are the prices if you want something suitable... and with a pool.
I wanted to start swimming (again for the back) but thought, well, I like it exercising so why not get a programme while I'm here...."

From the first quote, 3-4 days is not enough time to recover from antibiotics. After completing the course your natural defences have been wiped out along with the infection. You are very susceptible to re infection for the next 2-3 weeks even without the extra stress of exercise. Concentrate on diet to build yourself back up during this time and then resume training.

Using the pool will not help anyone who has sinus problems. Its easy to irritate or infect the sinuses this way and this could in turn lead to laryngitis. Its not the gym work thats causing the infections but using the pool.

I would drop the pool altogether but use the steam room to help your sinuses.

Also 800 is a ridiculous price to pay. If you can redeem some of your money buy some equipment and train at home if the infections are troubling you consistently and then you will have more of an idea what is the cause of your problem.

My opinion is that the pool is the main cause and possibly the crowded gym doesnt help on top of that.

siochain

Curlypinkie wrote: »

Hi all,

Also I would get laryngitis, chest infections or sinus infections on a reguar basis (we're talking once every 2 or 3 months) which had to be treated with antibiotics and/or penicillin.

curly the antibiotics could be the problem, they wipe out the good bacteria in the gut thats essential for the immune system. Try taking a course of probiotics for a while and after ever course of antibiotics and see how you get on.

Good luck

Curlypinkie

Thanks for all the input people. Just to clarify,I've only recently started to use the pool, i.e I've been in it like 3 times?

I will definitely try and really look after myself after this antibitoic course.
I don't think 500 Eur is that bad for a gym with a pool (i get 300 re-imbursed from work)
Maradona, I'm not sure what episode of MTV Cribs you think I starred in, lol. I live in a very small apartment and apart from doing a few excercises to gym videos, there is really no space for anything else. I wouldn't have a clue where to put any "equipment" as you say....