Training & Nutrition - Training with a cold or the flu

Just curious what the general consensus here is about training with a cold/mild flu. I understand that if you feel real bad, have a fever etc, you should rest. But what if you just have a mild upper respiratory irritation and runny nose?

Gently aerobic? (base miles, no intervals)
Weight lifting?
Maintenance pushups/situps etc?

Or do you just do what you normally do and HTFU?

I've noticed in the past that if I head out on a really hard ride when I first start feeling a cold coming on, it will knock it out and I'll never get the cold. Anyone else try this?

Az

I usually just power through it, continue as life normally was. Granted I wont be going as fast or far... but I'll go till i just about die. I have a routine of riding and lifting that works pretty well. I rarely get sick though.

If I had a cold, I would probably do what I normally had to do but maybe not do as many repeats, depending on how I felt. If I was feeling pretty crummy, I would probably just do zone 1-2.

+ 1 on powering through it.

usually, i feel better afterwards.

later.

Sinus cold, mild sore throat - train through it.

Chest cold, flu, bronchitis, any fever - rest.

I rest. So I miss a workout or two. I know I am not going to fall apart because of it.
Sometimes, after a rest, you come back stronger.

I tried to ride thru a persistent cold last fall. It seemed like it kept reactivating the virus, just when I thought I had licked it.

So now I'm taking a 2-month off-season, only doing a little lite weight lifting. Nice to rest all the little nicks in my knees too.

+ 1 on powering through it.

usually, i feel better afterwards.

later.

+2

Once the fever's over, I ride as hard as I feel like. Usually after a few forced days off I'm really to tear up the pavement.

But, I rarely get colds / flu, I think mainly because I don't overtrain, and take care of my diet and rest.

I usually don't ride the first couple of days, but then get rid of it right away when I start up again. Faster than if I'd rested.

body aches is where I draw the line. Cold or sore throat or congestion...sometime the only relief I feel is when my heart rate is up. Besides, who needs oxygen anyway?

I ride with a cold. For some reason exercise for me seems to have an antihistamine effect. Often I feel best when I am riding when I have a cold.

The flu is a different matter. It usually has an appreciable fever with it. For me, the flu seems to affect my balance. I don't ride with the flu but fortunately it does not last long either.

if you feel bad above the neck (head cold) ride. if the sick feeling is below the neck (chest cold) then take a break.

Just curious what the general consensus here is about training with a cold/mild flu. I understand that if you feel real bad, have a fever etc, you should rest. But what if you just have a mild upper respiratory irritation and runny nose?

Gently aerobic? (base miles, no intervals)
Weight lifting?
Maintenance pushups/situps etc?

Or do you just do what you normally do and HTFU?

I've noticed in the past that if I head out on a really hard ride when I first start feeling a cold coming on, it will knock it out and I'll never get the cold. Anyone else try this?

Az

Weight lifting while sick is a bad idea. Your body will try to repair muscle before healing you from sickness.
I learned this a few years back - I ended up being sick for 3 weeks.

[...]I've noticed in the past that if I head out on a really hard ride when I first start feeling a cold coming on, it will knock it out and I'll never get the cold. Anyone else try this?


+1 -- just did this yesterday. Hopefully, the cold is gone.

I have ridden through the last three onsets of mild head/chest cold (not much in the chest) and had good results -- the cold doesn't take root, or does so much more gently.

I agree with some who say they often feel best during a cold when on the bike (and for me, the feeling can last through 8 or 9 pm -- as much as I need to get through the day).