jlstrat

I swear I get a cold or sore throat a few times a year and seem to make it worse by biking too hard. I am closing in on 4700 miles and want to meet my goal of 5500 for the year. But I also plan on camping this Friday and want to do some mountain biking with my son. So:

1. Any good sore throat cures?

2. Should I rest a couple of times to let my throat heal?

I can't get it through my head that I need to rest sometimes and vary my biking routine.

Jinkster

Unless you want to invite bronchitis, tonsillitis or pneumonia?...I say give it a rest and let your body heal because if you keep taxing it physically?...it won't have a chance to recover...besides...it's why mom didn't let you go outside and play when you were sick. LOL!

Gargle with warm salt water...drink hot tea with lots of honey and a touch of lemon and home-made chicken soup with lots of veggies is always a great idea.

Coal Buster

Are you on any heart medications? Certain ACE inhibiters will make your throat sensitive. It doesn't mean you're getting sick.

David Bierbaum

I tend to stock some Ricola honey-lemon echinasea throat lozenges to suck on while riding. Double benefit is: I don't mouth-breathe as much, and the lozenge keeps my mouth and throat moist, which keeps the irritation down while riding.

Of course, for bumpity MTB riding, the disadvantage of this would be the possible choking hazard, from accidentally aspirating the lozenge...

qcpmsame 

If the sore throat is a precursor to a cold, as mine usually are, taking some time off may pay off in the long run. One other thing to keep in mind next Friday, the next Arctic air mass (polar vortex) is due a few days prior. Be ready with the proper cold weather kit for the expected temperatures and rain/sleet/snow (for your area.) I'm guilty of doing the same as you about continuing to ride with a cold, it seems to always stretch out the congestion for a few days.

If the cold settles in my chest, I'm standing down for the duration, I don't fare well when that happens and I do not want pneumonia, for any reason. No cures to recommend beyond the ones mentioned, I suck on Leudens cherry lozenges when I'm having throat problems just to keep from yelling out when I swallow.

Bill

Wanderer

Honey ----- straight! Soothes and kills bacteria............ tastes good too!

The Savages

sweating won't help so give it a rest

linnefaulk

ricola.

fietsbob

Fisherman's Friend (though containing sugar, it is very Un-Candy Like) I got them when I got sniffles and a sore throat in the middle of my Irish West coast Bike Tour.

which I could not just choose to stay Home , because I was already on the Opposite side of the Continent and an Ocean from there.

Fisherman's Friend - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

no sweat

I have no cure. I do, however, have prevention -- at least it works for me:

*Vitamin D -- 5000 IU/day (if you forget, double up the following day)
*Vitamin C -- 1000mg/day
*Zinc -- 20 mg/day

I go *years* without catching cold or flu... and when I do, it's been because I fell off the regimen for several days or more. No flu shots for me -- don't need 'em, don't want 'em.

As with any information you get on the 'net, best to corroborate.

GeneO 

Don't ride when you are sick. Your body needs the energy to recover.

Bikey Mikey

Zinc lozenges and gargling with salt water. Snorting salt water helps with congestion (is painful but helps).

Ursa Minor

I think the polar vortex is headed your way so you might want to avoid camping.

Charlie

ericy

Agreed..

I am just getting over my first cold of the season. I started to get a sore throat right around the 1st of the month - I am hoping to be back on the bike this week. Probably Tuesday..

Gyrine

Gargle with Listerine every time you think about it. Vitamins, especially C, and zinc have been shown to have no to minimal impact. Try to keep conjestive excretions from running down your throat by blowing your nose often. Otherwise, you just have you let it run its course. Staying home and stewing will not help either so ... ride on!

StanSeven

For most people a sore throat is the beginning of a cold. Regardless it's usually a sign you are working yourself too hard with training. Taking it easy by a couple days off and some easy ones thrown in makes the colds either not happen or not be as bad.

no sweat

It's true that they won't cure or significantly help an illness in progress. Great for prevention though.

goldfinch

If you get a lot of sore throats it may be due to something chronic.

If you are getting a lot of colds be sure that you are washing your hands a lot!

NOS88

Two times I never ride: fever and sore throat. In terms of prevention, when the temp drops below 40, I ride with my mouth covered by a scarf (when commuting) or a balaclava on recreational rides (I have several with different thickness to match temps).

mapeiboy

Hot water , lemon , honey does it for me every time .

Gyrine

Only in limited cases where the individual is vitamin deficient. Most people are not; in fact, it has oft been said that Americans have the most expensive urine in the world. Zinc is interesting. It has been shown over the last few decades that zinc is essential for a proper functioning immune system. So what do we do? More must be better correct? Mega doses!

bruised

Propolis and echinacea throat spray!

Seriously, bee propolis is a natural anti-viral / anti-fungal / anti-bacterial and is used to replace prescription antibiotics by more progressive quacks. Works for me.

Royal jelly, bee pollen, propolis and honey for all-round protection, energy and stamina.

no sweat

Pretty much everyone at latitude 40 degrees and up is vitamin D deficient in Winter. This isn't controversial. The US RDA for C and D is enough for avoidance of scurvy and rickets, it isn't anywhere near optimum. Oh, and that's the word I get from my trained-in-the-finest-AMA-orthodoxy primary physician. Anyone with the tools to reach this discussion board has all the capability need to educate themselves further on the subject.

The expense angle is total distraction. We're talking a buck a week or less.

I'm done here.

rumrunn6

- hydration, lots of small sips, nurse says cold or hot whatever you prefer
- sucking hard candy, since you'll be doing a bit of this stay away from sugar free they are loaded with weird chemicals, just deal with the sugar
- gargle with very warm salt water between hydration especially before bed after brushing teeth, etc. I carry salt in a film container to work so I can gargle at work. if you are on the road make a bottle of salt water to use in the car and just spit out the window. it won't be warm but the salt will help.
- DO NOT USE a anesthetic antiseptic throat spray. the antiseptic will kill germs but also kill skin cells and make the sore throat worse exponentially (even tho the anesthetic will provide temporary relief)
- anesthetic only are OK but you'll need other stuff in between cuz there's a limit on how many you can have in one day

JanMM

Listerine may help halitosis but not so much colds or sore throats:
Listerine | Top Misleading Ad Claims: From Toning Shoes to Splenda | TIME.com

If the sore throat is quite painful and/or red and/or accompanied by fever, headache, etc., consider getting it checked out by a healthcare provider to rule out strep throat.