Getting Ill, any tips

[siwickm]

It seems that every time I do a long ride, whether it be hard or slow, I end up getting a sore throat or cold a day or two later. Which is what I am experiencing at the moment. It annoys me as I feel I cannot train with a cold, therefore missing out on mid week rides etc.

Does anyone have any tips on keeping the gremlins away, is it nutrition, clothing etc.

Any tips kindly appreciated.

Yours lemsippingly,

Marek....

[monty]

Check out the citricidal- its an acquired taste but its only c10quid & last 6mths & since taking it 2 yrs ago I get 1 cold/sorethoat pa - which is required to purge the system (so say the experts)

from my feedback..........
If you are interested in Vits, Mins & Herbs try this website I can recommend the Citricidal & MSM/Glucosamine

http://www.highernature.co.uk/cgi-bin/HN.storefront

[siwickm]

I do tend to eat a lot of sweets etc after a ride, cakes, chocolate bars and the like. Why does this have an effect, I did not know about this.

[siwickm]

Monty, did you go for the Citradel tablets, if so do you just take one after each ride?

[Matt_Ives]

Firstly, it needs to be pointed out that everyone?s physiology and immunology are different and there are no hard fast rules that fit everyone. However , certain types of people do have common characteristics and for certain people, sugar degrades the immune system.
This is most notable for those people who have a naturally depleted immune system (an inherited characteristic). If you can bear it, it might be worth removing all sugar from your diet for a few weeks and seeing how things go. This is a lot harder than it sounds since sugar, especially refined sugar, is addictive.
From my own experience, I did remove all sugar from my diet for about 3 months and I can honestly say that I have never felt better or more healthy (normally I am very susceptible to colds and feeling run down).
However, the lure of the Mars bar finally caught up with me and snared me in it's chocolaty web.

Good luck:)

[siwickm]

So are you saying, no sugar in my cappucino, no cake, no energy bars, no lucozade, crikey, how do you stay alive. I prefer the taking some drugs route that Monty has come up with if it means I can still have sugar etc.

I think I will try cutting back on the sugar following a long ride, maybe eat Bagels and bananas instead of the usual three slices of cake, packet of Jaffas and a couple of Mars bars.

[Phil N]

Apart from all the usual, good diet, fuids, Vitamin C, etc.
over the past couple of years I have taken the Echianea Herbal supplement at this time of year. It is supposed to boost the immune system! You are only supposed to take it for about a month and then have a break. I also take it before undertaking a long period of training or touring, for example I will start taking it again about 2 weeks before going to Mallorca in February and continue it whilst there. I seems to help as I have had very few colds etc. lately.

Check out this link

http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/echinacea.htm

I should be interested to hear from anyone else using this supplement to compare notes, as it is not cheap!

Phil N.

[richv]

I use echinacea as well. No idea why it works but it seems to help. I take it at the first sign of a sniffle and find the liquid stuff tends to work better than the tablets (although it tastes awful). I have mild asthma so tended to suffer from chest infections through the winter, I rarely do now although this may be a benefit of being somewhat fitter since joining ACC.

[David Lombari]

I've just started taking the SIS CLA capsules which are supposed to help boost the immune system. Can't confirm this as yet, but then I don't tend to get too many colds anyway (touch wood).

[monty]

Marek

Tracy (wife) uses the tabs & I use the liquid but she not a Cyclist!!!

Think of how grafefruit juice tastes then times that by 10 or 50 & you get some idea of what this is like as its made from the seeds not the fruit. Good news is you dont take it neat - you only add a few micro drops in a glass of water/juice, which is why it lasts so long. You can put it in your sports drink but I take it with water only 2/3 times a day.

I reco you call & talk to a specialist @ higher nature - they are very helpful & offer free advice

[Matt_Ives]

[quote]does anyone have a good hot tonic that they take at the first sign of illness?

[Marek]

That Vit C idea sounds quite good. I have now bought a load of those fizzy tablets and will top up my Vit C every day to keep my immune system up there.

I have emailed the guys that you recommended Monty and am waiting for a response.

Cheers

Marek....

[Matt_Ives]

Yes, I've found the fizzy tablets to be the best type of Vit C to take.The solid tablets take a while to digest in your stomache but the fizzy ones presumably go into your blood stream quicker. Anyway, most fizzy vit C tablets are 1000mg each.I normally take one of those each day and neck a load more if I feel run down.

[huw williams]

Marek

If you're experiencing recurring problems with sore throat and cold symptoms every time you ride - you're almost certainly not recovered from the illness before you do your next ride. Treat the cause not the syptom. Rest and get rid of the cold/sore throat FULLY before you start traiining again or you'll end up worse off in the long run. Snivels and coughs are all part of training at this time of year and quite natural. But if there are underlying symptoms indicating a deeprt problem, DON'T RIDE. How do you know what's serious and what's not? Your body will tell you. If you've got a seriously dry/sore throat you're on shaky ground. Generally you'll feel too hot, that's your body running a temperature because its trying to fight an infection or fever - I use a thermometer as well as a HRM during winter as a guide to weather I should ride or not. Recovery straight after a ride is really important. That's when you're at your most prone to pick up a bug so avoid getting in the door and straight into a room full of people if at all possible. After a long ride like we've been doing saturdays, take an energy replacement drink like Rego Rapid (whey based protein/carb mix) AS SOON AS you get in the door. It's much quicker than solid food and packed with other good stuff. If that's not available make sure you eat at least a gram of carbohydrate per KG of body weight as soon as you get in and add a quarter gram of protein for every gram of carbo on top. And don't go getting your carbs/ protein from sweets or doghnuts cos that's why you threw up on the ToSH ya lightweight!!! Work out in advance a rough guide to which foods will give you the amounts of carbs and proteins you need and always have them in the house on the days you ride. Bagels, muffins, pitta breads etc are a great place too start and you can prepare them in no time. On top of all that a balanced diet with a few well choosen supplements to keep your immune system as strong as possible is all you can do. Don't go getting your calories through sweets and stuff because that's filling you with 'empty' calories meaning you don't get the good stuff from proper wholefoods.

Huw

[siwickm]

I am feeling a lot better now. Thank you very much Huw for you kind words, especially reminding me of TOSH. I don't think it was the Doughnut though, mind you that may not have helped but I was already dead when I arrived at the Doughnut station.

I am going to be a lot more careful about what I eat when I get back from a ride. I have got some of that Whey Protein stuff lying around somewhere have to dig it out, I just find it such a chore making that horrible tasting drink, but I suppose worth it in the long run.

Will take my Vit C tablets and try and get some Bagels etc in for after the ride. Would it be alright to cover them in Nutella?