Biking with a head cold - good/bad?

I caught a three-day flu bug last Friday and continued to bike
thinking that it wouldn't hurt me, and might even help.

My thought was, 'hey some ppl advocate that raising the temp
(at least in the nasal passages) can help to make the body
inhospitable to the bug'. So I wore a sweatsuit top over my
regular riding togs and sweated off about three lbs of water,
replacing with diet gingerale and chicken boullion PRN.

It did seem to help.

I had one day where I had that 'dopey, glassey-eyed' period in
the evening, dosed up with some robo w/codeine to keep from
coughing myself raw and allow sleep.

The next day I was back out riding a little more casually
than normal, and by Monday still stuffy but feeling better.

Tuesday I rode my regular ride at regular speed and felt great.

Today I felt a -little- weak, still an occasional cough, but
fine, and kinda pleased w/my refusal to wussy out. g

My feeling is that as long as you're not having a fever or
obvious bacterial infection, go sweat.

YMMV. Thoughts?

-B

--
Email Replies to johnsonnospm01j att ntelos dott net

"Badger South" wrote in message
...

I caught a three-day flu bug last Friday and continued to bike
thinking that it wouldn't hurt me, and might even help.

My thought was, 'hey some ppl advocate that raising the temp
(at least in the nasal passages) can help to make the body
inhospitable to the bug'. So I wore a sweatsuit top over my
regular riding togs and sweated off about three lbs of water,
replacing with diet gingerale and chicken boullion PRN.

It did seem to help.

I had one day where I had that 'dopey, glassey-eyed' period in
the evening, dosed up with some robo w/codeine to keep from
coughing myself raw and allow sleep.

The next day I was back out riding a little more casually
than normal, and by Monday still stuffy but feeling better.

Tuesday I rode my regular ride at regular speed and felt great.

Today I felt a -little- weak, still an occasional cough, but
fine, and kinda pleased w/my refusal to wussy out. g

My feeling is that as long as you're not having a fever or
obvious bacterial infection, go sweat.

YMMV. Thoughts?


Works for me, but I wouldn't ride in traffic while under any cold or allergy
medication.

Matthew

In article ,
says...

I caught a three-day flu bug last Friday and continued to bike
thinking that it wouldn't hurt me, and might even help.

My thought was, 'hey some ppl advocate that raising the temp
(at least in the nasal passages) can help to make the body
inhospitable to the bug'. So I wore a sweatsuit top over my
regular riding togs and sweated off about three lbs of water,
replacing with diet gingerale and chicken boullion PRN.

It did seem to help.

I had one day where I had that 'dopey, glassey-eyed' period in
the evening, dosed up with some robo w/codeine to keep from
coughing myself raw and allow sleep.

The next day I was back out riding a little more casually
than normal, and by Monday still stuffy but feeling better.

Tuesday I rode my regular ride at regular speed and felt great.

Today I felt a -little- weak, still an occasional cough, but
fine, and kinda pleased w/my refusal to wussy out. g

My feeling is that as long as you're not having a fever or
obvious bacterial infection, go sweat.

YMMV. Thoughts?

Looks like my mileage is about the same as yours GGG. I found long
ago that if I can make myself do a good workout and work up a sweat
for an hour or so, then as long as I don't work myself to complete
exhaustion it seems to help get over the cold a little quicker.
Getting the will power to get the workout started can be very
difficult, though.

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

(Badger South) wrote:


I caught a three-day flu bug last Friday and continued to bike
thinking that it wouldn't hurt me, and might even help.

[snip]
My feeling is that as long as you're not having a fever or
obvious bacterial infection, go sweat.

YMMV. Thoughts?

I find that hard physical activity (e.g. cycling) is great for clearing
the nose and sinuses -- I don't know if it's the adrenaline that does
it, or that the blood is being diverted from the head to the muscles
that are doing the work. Just don't let any of your coworkers or
bosses see you cycling on a day you called in sick at work.

--
Ray Heindl
(remove the X to reply)

I take it very carefully with flu. If it's a real flu (just a
feeling, not necessarily headache/fever/runny nose/cough even) I
stick indoors, no walking, no going to school or working. If it's
just some vague
flu-might-be-coming-but-it's-too-weak-for-my-immune-system feeling
I just ride more easily. A persistent flu already cured into that
state seems to become worse from even light riding.

--
Risto Varanka | http://www.helsinki.fi/~rvaranka/hpv/hpv.html
varis at no spam please iki fi

wrote in message
...
I take it very carefully with flu. If it's a real flu (just a
feeling, not necessarily headache/fever/runny nose/cough even) I
stick indoors, no walking, no going to school or working. If it's
just some vague
flu-might-be-coming-but-it's-too-weak-for-my-immune-system feeling
I just ride more easily. A persistent flu already cured into that
state seems to become worse from even light riding.

According to Bicycling Medicine by Arnie Baker, MD, c1998, New York,
"Lots of cyclists call me up to ask me what they should do. I usually ask
them what they think. They almost always know. If you want to ride but think
maybe you shouldn't, try riding half the distance you think is reasonable.
If you feel OK, complete the ride."

On the other hand he writes,
"If you have a fever, muscle aches and no sysmptoms above the neck--no sore
throat, no nose symptoms--watch out. Exercise may significantly worsen some
virus-caused conditions that fit this description."

That's not all but it should be a resonable guide. It's all I've the
patience to type anyway. ;-)

Doug
Toronto

Ray Heindl wrote:

I find that hard physical activity (e.g. cycling) is great for clearing
the nose and sinuses -- I don't know if it's the adrenaline that does
it, or that the blood is being diverted from the head to the muscles
that are doing the work. Just don't let any of your coworkers or
bosses see you cycling on a day you called in sick at work.

Heh... ain't it the truth?

I have fairly frequent sinus problems, and have noticed that on the
mornings I ride I almost always get better - on those days I blow it
off, I almost always get worse.

It stands to reason though - if I spew a pound or two (seems like it
anyway) of road lubricant during a ride, it's gotta help.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Badger South wrote:

I caught a three-day flu bug last Friday and continued to bike
thinking that it wouldn't hurt me, and might even help.

My thought was, 'hey some ppl advocate that raising the temp
(at least in the nasal passages) can help to make the body
inhospitable to the bug'. So I wore a sweatsuit top over my
regular riding togs and sweated off about three lbs of water,
replacing with diet gingerale and chicken boullion PRN.

It did seem to help.

I had one day where I had that 'dopey, glassey-eyed' period in
the evening, dosed up with some robo w/codeine to keep from
coughing myself raw and allow sleep.

The next day I was back out riding a little more casually
than normal, and by Monday still stuffy but feeling better.

Tuesday I rode my regular ride at regular speed and felt great.

Today I felt a -little- weak, still an occasional cough, but
fine, and kinda pleased w/my refusal to wussy out. g

My feeling is that as long as you're not having a fever or
obvious bacterial infection, go sweat.

YMMV. Thoughts?

-B

Thoughts? Well, if it is influenza, then you need to rest and let it
run it's course. "Real" flu can be dangerous to fatal. If it is just
the sniffles, then I would ride.
Beyond that, if you ride year round, eg: commute on a bike, you
probably don't get the flu or colds any more. At least not every year.
So that's MY question back to you: if you ride daily, do you get colds
and the flu every fall/winter like my co-workers do?
Best regards, Bernie

In article , Bernie wrote:


Badger South wrote:

I caught a three-day flu bug last Friday and continued to bike
thinking that it wouldn't hurt me, and might even help.

My thought was, 'hey some ppl advocate that raising the temp
(at least in the nasal passages) can help to make the body
inhospitable to the bug'. So I wore a sweatsuit top over my
regular riding togs and sweated off about three lbs of water,
replacing with diet gingerale and chicken boullion PRN.

It did seem to help.
snippage
YMMV. Thoughts?

-B

Thoughts? Well, if it is influenza, then you need to rest and let it
run it's course. "Real" flu can be dangerous to fatal. If it is just
the sniffles, then I would ride.
Beyond that, if you ride year round, eg: commute on a bike, you
probably don't get the flu or colds any more. At least not every year.
So that's MY question back to you: if you ride daily, do you get colds
and the flu every fall/winter like my co-workers do?
Best regards, Bernie

Haven't had a bad cold since before '98, and this only lasted
three days. I don't bike to work, but I work out frequently.
I've only started back biking in August.

-B

--
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"Mark Hickey" wrote in message
...

Ray Heindl wrote:

I find that hard physical activity (e.g. cycling) is great for clearing
the nose and sinuses -- I don't know if it's the adrenaline that does
it, or that the blood is being diverted from the head to the muscles
that are doing the work. Just don't let any of your coworkers or
bosses see you cycling on a day you called in sick at work.

Heh... ain't it the truth?

I have fairly frequent sinus problems, and have noticed that on the
mornings I ride I almost always get better - on those days I blow it
off, I almost always get worse.

It stands to reason though - if I spew a pound or two (seems like it
anyway) of road lubricant during a ride, it's gotta help.

I've found this too -- sitting around just makes it worse. Fresh air and hot
showers are natural antihistimines.

Matt O.