Mountain Biking - Sick riding?

Hi Guys. Do you guys ride when your sick? One school of thought says that it stimulates your immune system and helps you get well quicker. The other school says that you should get plenty of rest...who knows. I have had a cold for a few days now, rode the second day, but not sure if I just extended my illness. Would like some opinions. Sick guy.

For the most part, riding with a cold is okay to do. Personally, I think it makes me feel better. I think it varies from individual to individual. The only thing you want to watch out for is if you have a fever. If that happens, you definitely want to stay off the bike.

There is a rule of thumb in the fitness arena (gyms) if it is above the head go ahead and workout. IF it is below the head (in the chest) rest.

This does work :)

I've had a cold for the past couple of days, and I went for a ride and guess what...no sniffling!:D As soon as I finished riding I started getting stuffy again though. My cold is almost gone, so I can give riding my bike some credit to helping with getting rid of my cold.

Thanks for all the advice. It's rainging pretty steady, here on the Northern Massachusetts coast, but if it lets up I'll get out this afternoon. Feel better today anyway. Thanks again.

Reckon I have to diasgree to an extent. A cold is viral, and whether you take medicines for it, let it run its own course, or indulge in exercise, it still takes on average about 7 days to cure no matter what you do.

Colds often have a viral impact in the chest, so there is some reason to believe that exercise during that period might do more harm than good. I've tried exercising through a cold, and sometimes I've just left it. I think you need to be a bit cautious. I don't think there are too many sports physios who believe you can 'sweat' the cold out.

Adrenaline is a natural antihistemine/decongestant. That's why you feel a bit cleared up after exercise. As to wether you should ride while sick or not, I think it depends on the individual. You know what you can handle and wether it feels right better than anyone else.

Good questions...of course, I'm the wrong person to answer this. I always end up riding when I'm sick if it's a beautiful day outside. I just can't stand to waste a sunny day.

My rule is that if you're training, you hinder yourself if you have a fever and train. That's the dividing line between whether you should or not. You'll recover slower and won't gain as much out of the training cause you can't do high demand tasks.

Listen to your body and leave your ego at the door. Riding through illness could worsen the condition, forcing you off the bike longer than if you had taken a few days while you were sick.

Sometimes it's a no brainer. I had food poisoning last month and it put me down hard for 5 days, and off the bike for 8 days. A ride of any duration was unthinkable.

A head cold I'm now living with was too intense on days 1 and 2 to ride. On Day 3 I did a light intensity ride, maybe 1/2 hour, and felt fine. But today, day 4, I felt well enough for a 1 hour singletrack hammerfest. Tomorrow I'll be back to my usual distance and intensity.

I once rode a bike in the flu and in a couple of days it got better.

As mentioned above the adrenaline is a naturual decongestant so for cold / sinus problems, GO for it! If you have a fever, I personally would not ride. The fever is signalling that your body is trying to fight off an infection.

I also take 500 mg of Vitamin C every day. When I start to feel sick, I take my 500 as usual in the morning and follow it up with another 2 tabs (1000 mg) in the evening before bed. This has rarely failed me. I have to be on the death bed when that doesn't work.

Just a tip, don't use antibacterial soaps. These kill "good" bacteria which help strengthen your immune system. I am not suggesting licking door knobs or pay phones, just don't overkill on the antibacterial crap.

Originally posted by Redhed
I am not suggesting licking door knobs or pay phones, just don't overkill on the antibacterial crap.

But they taste soooo good.