UKC

I've got a dratted summer cold! Grrrrrrrrrr.

Some years ago a theory was accepted that you don't do vigorous exercise when you had a cold.
Is this still accepted, or has it been debunked?

In reply to Gordonbp: I think i read somewhere that it puts a lot of pressure on your heart.....you know in you own mind whether you could run or not though I guess.....I have done both and not sure which works but usually end up with a chest infection if I don't rest

In reply to Gordonbp: It's pretty disgusting but I try to run whilst breathing through my nose, after about half a mile and a lot of wiping I generally feel ok!

In reply to Gordonbp:

The last advice I read was only do light exercise if your cold is above the neck. Reasoning is that heavier colds and colds in general put extra strain on cv system. Heart tissue in particular.

Be interesting to hear if someone with more recent medical advice/knowledge can confirm or debunk though.

In reply to SFM:

I do this... I'd never do a session with a cold.. in the states I turned up and started a tempo session and the coach really yelled me out for it.. I was sweating heavily and way off my pace yet clearly working hard and he was pretty clear that the session was over there and then..

In reply to IainRUK:

I had similar from a doctor I used to climb with after trying to "burn it off" on a walk in. Said that there was an increased chance of suffering a heart attack despite being generally fit and healthy. Perhaps scare tactics but made me take notice and read up when I can.

In reply to Gordonbp: Take a break, you probably deserve it.

In reply to Gordonbp:
Personally I try to run even with a cold, I almost always feel better as a result. I expect this means I'm going to die.

In reply to Toreador: It seems to help with head colds.. blows it out of the system... so I'll do a steady paced run, not sure if it actually helps long term or just clears the sinus's so makes you feel the relief short term..

Bit of a headcold yes, but start cautiously and play it by ear.
I trained and raced with something on my chest this winter, not wanting to face up to the facts. Put me back a good 8-10 weeks. Lesson learned.

In reply to steveri: I did similar last year, had a chesty cough, just a tickly cough but any hard session had me coughing, eventually a fellow member warned me about it, said he'd had similar and I needed a month off to let everything calm down, i did and it went away..

In reply to IainRUK:
Mm, it's sometimes easier to give advice than take your own. I admitted defeated and rested properly after going backwards with every cross country, seeing people I don't normally

In reply to Gordonbp:

I've spent the last few days off work with throat infection, now a head cold and a hacking cough. I haven't run in over a week now, under previous advise, I've always thought it better to not over do it whilst ill, otherwise your recovery time will just be longer... I am not informed in any way, just giving my opinion. I hope to attempt running again on Thursday, but that does depend on where the hacking cough is at.

In reply to Gordonbp: If even if it wasn't medically bad for you or dangerous then I think you're always better resting anway. Doing a gentle walk or some suplementary exercises. Surely it's better to recover faster and get back to a stage where you can get back running properly rather than push through and potentially extend the amount of time that your training sub par.

Ben

In reply to Gordonbp:

From experience, don't expect to run a personal best with a cold, but if you can run then by all means do. A lemsip an hour before seems to help. If you feel well enough to be contemplating running, you probably aren't that sick. I would never exercise if I'm running a fever though.

Sleep is the key to recovery, for me anyways.