# Cycling with a heavy cold



## Mortiroloboy (14 Jul 2007)

Is it a good idea? I have had a cold for a week now, started on Friday last with a sore throat/loss of voice for half a day, now just left with continual blocked nose, nasty gunky dayglo green slime, as soon as I clear it (blow nose) it's back within minutes, how does the human body manufacture that stuff so fast?!

Anyway, not feeling 100% should I get out on my lovely Wilier Mortirolo, or just sit indoors and watch TdF once I have done all my chores?! Is it advisable to cycle at all, or should I just wait until I feel fully fit?


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## SamNichols (14 Jul 2007)

As with all illnesses, its probably better to rest. I tried it recently, and found that I could barely breath - I had to give up my ride after 2 miles, and went and had a cup of tea and a friend's instead. You could try putting some olbas oil on your jersey though (not an expensive jersey!), I find it to be an amazing decongestant.


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## Mortiroloboy (14 Jul 2007)

Olbas oil is tops, but not on cycling tops! I gave in and am currently ironing whilst watching the Boys toil through les Alpes  I'm on Hols now for three weeks, got to get my rear wheel trued on Monday, weather permitting may get out on Monday whilst the kids are still at school!

Don't think I could breathe properly, still snotting and coughing nasty nasal mucus...Yeeuuucck


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## domtyler (16 Jul 2007)

Uck, get orf the forum y'mucky little sod, you'll infect us all.


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## Bigtallfatbloke (17 Jul 2007)

Colds are just extra weight to lug up a hill...mine average around 6 tonnes of pure snot a day, which in itself requires me to carry an additional 25 boxes of kleenex....it's fun watching the chavs in the 'pimped ride' behind peeling the soggy snot ridden tissues off their tinted windscreens though


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## Blue (18 Jul 2007)

I have heard it said that the rule of thumb is based on body temperature and that if you are running a fever, don't cycle, especially if you have any muscle aches, as you risk damaging your heart.


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## skwerl (31 Jul 2007)

generally, if it's above the neck you're ok but don't cycle if it's below or you risk damaging your lungs


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## purpleR (19 Aug 2007)

I've been told by my medic friends that exercise speeds your body up, and the cold bugs' reproduction rate speeds up correspondingly. So you'll do them more of a favour than yourself by engaging in physical activity.

Rest up until you're better.


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## Tim Bennet. (20 Aug 2007)

> I have heard it said that the rule of thumb is based on body temperature and that if you are running a fever, don't cycle, especially if you have any muscle aches, as you risk damaging your heart.



There is increasing evidence of a link between a simple viral infection, continuing training and heart damage. A number of years ago there were several deaths amongst Swedish (IIRC) elite orienteers that were attributed to this, and I have a friend here who has just gone through open heart surgery to have his heart valves replaced that were damaged by a virus. Continuing to train through a cold for last October's mountain marathon is thought to have been a possible trigger.


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## Twenty Inch (20 Aug 2007)

Tim Bennet. said:


> > I have heard it said that the rule of thumb is based on body temperature and that if you are running a fever, don't cycle, especially if you have any muscle aches, as you risk damaging your heart.
> 
> 
> 
> There is increasing evidence of a link between a simple viral infection, continuing training and heart damage. A number of years ago there were several deaths amongst Swedish (IIRC) elite orienteers that were attributed to this, and I have a friend here who has just gone through open heart surgery to have his heart valves replaced that were damaged by a virus. Continuing to train through a cold for last October's mountain marathon is thought to have been a possible trigger.



Crikey! SWMBO keeps telling me this, but I thought it was a myth. I'll be more careful in future.


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## Tim Bennet. (20 Aug 2007)

I am sorry to have alarmed you. It was inconsiderate of me to do so based entirely on the recall from my aging memory. I have since checked in the Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases and it would appear that the assertion there were 'several' deaths was entirely wrong. 

There were, in fact, 16!


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## Keith Oates (20 Aug 2007)

Now that is something I didn't know and have in fact thought some exercise helped to get rid of a cold, but I didn't realise it helped to permanently get rid of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## purpleR (20 Aug 2007)

Keith, you've given me a _brilliant_ idea. We can cure the cold once and for all - just get everyone with a cold to do a hundred star jumps... and the cold dies with them.

mwah ha ha!!


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