A strong immune system?

[crazybiker]

I come from a Mediterranean background. Been training and racing for 10 years at elite level.

3 years ago I moved to China for work. The Winter here is harsh (-5 to 5 degrees Celsius); the Summer is boiling hot and humid (i live near Shanghai).

Training in Winter is a real challenge, not because of the cold but because of getting sick. I'm fed up of getting sick on average 1-2 times a month, each time interrupting my base training and keeping me off the bike

I have tried everything known to me: Vitamins, Echinacea, staying warm, 9+ hours of sleep daily, healthy eating, you name it...

How do the pros avoid getting sick? Does anyone have any recommendations?

Once Spring comes, I'm usually quite fine albeit Spring and Autumn are rather inexistent in this part of China since it's either Winter or Summer.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[TheDude]

The pros don't train in China. Not sure where you are, but air pollutant levels in most cities are 10 times or more higher than allowed by law in the U.S. Have you tried a good-quality dust mask (not just cloth)?

 

[crazybiker]

Clean here

The pros don't train in China. Not sure where you are, but air pollutant levels in most cities are 10 times or more higher than allowed by law in the U.S. Have you tried a good-quality dust mask (not just cloth)?

Thanks for your reply.

Pollution-wise, I'm in a relatively clean area... few factories around and traffic is quiet. I usually train in the countryside and encounter few vehicles. I also spend my daytime working in a quiet and clean area, 15km from the city centre. I'm not discounting pollution, but I think it would not be a major cause to getting sick.

What I meant is: is there any medication or vitamins which can strengthen one's immune system? The pros hardly get sick... how do they do it?

 

[Comobosques]

I actually think this is pretty simple: They eat a nutritionist designed diet, they are constantly sweating and thus detoxing their bodies, and they dont spend more than a month or so in extremely cold weather (hence skipping cold/flu season due to traveling). And im sure the high frequency of massages helps a bit too.

 

[crazybiker]

thanks

I actually think this is pretty simple: They eat a nutritionist designed diet, they are constantly sweating and thus detoxing their bodies, and they dont spend more than a month or so in extremely cold weather (hence skipping cold/flu season due to traveling). And im sure the high frequency of massages helps a bit too.

thanks

I was also thinking that injecting themselves with vitamins and minerals regularly would probably help too, in addition to good recovery

 

[TheDude]

I understand you on the vitamins, but I think beyond basic good nutrition - lots of fresh fruit on top of you regular meal foods - there isn't a lot to be gained by pills or other delivery. Get a flu shot?

And some of the pros have pretty bad luck with illness. Taylor Phinny had a round of sinus infections last season if I remember correctly.

Well, I'm off to bed as I picked up a sore throat on the plane the other day, which has made my morning rides less than fun this week.

 

[Tangled Tango]

I am not positive about this but I think if you researched you´d find that pro cyclists actually do catch colds fairly often as their intense training workload lowers their immune systems. They catch all kinds of short term illnesses, fever you name it. The thing with them is they usually ride through their illness if they´re in the middle of a race. I suppose they take whatever is legal to suppress the symptoms.

Besides a well balanced diet inlcuding besides fresh fruit, a salad a day and fresh green veggies, try lowering your coffe intake (if you drink it). Coffe kills vitiman C, is not liver friendly and like sugar messes with your adrenalin output. Having said that I am a coffe drinker, but try to keep it reasonable.

A thought; why not try visiting a local traditional doctor/healer whatever they are called there. The Chinese have been using natural remedies for thousands of years. If you can find one you trust, who knows it could help.

 

[crazybiker]

I am not positive about this but I think if you researched you´d find that pro cyclists actually do catch colds fairly often as their intense training workload lowers their immune systems. They catch all kinds of short term illnesses, fever you name it. The thing with them is they usually ride through their illness if they´re in the middle of a race. I suppose they take whatever is legal to suppress the symptoms.

Besides a well balanced diet inlcuding besides fresh fruit, a salad a day and fresh green veggies, try lowering your coffe intake (if you drink it). Coffe kills vitiman C, is not liver friendly and like sugar messes with your adrenalin output. Having said that I am a coffe drinker, but try to keep it reasonable.

A thought; why not try visiting a local traditional doctor/healer whatever they are called there. The Chinese have been using natural remedies for thousands of years. If you can find one you trust, who knows it could help.

Thanks for that. Racing with a cold, or riding above aerobic pace with a bad cold would make your cold worse... i tried it, i did it; it only prolonged my cold by 2-3 EXTRA days than had i took 2-3 days of pure rest.

Coffee-wise I only drink it 2-3 times a week.

My diet is balanced and i eat a lot of fruits... even in cold temperatures... a lot of Pomelo's right now - hehe. Onlookers frown at me when they see me purchase 10-20Kg of Pomelo's each time I go to the fruit shop

 

[crazybiker]

Coughs

I understand you on the vitamins, but I think beyond basic good nutrition - lots of fresh fruit on top of you regular meal foods - there isn't a lot to be gained by pills or other delivery. Get a flu shot?

And some of the pros have pretty bad luck with illness. Taylor Phinny had a round of sinus infections last season if I remember correctly.

Well, I'm off to bed as I picked up a sore throat on the plane the other day, which has made my morning rides less than fun this week.

I tend to work in an air-conditioned environment with quite a few people coughing in the closed roomThat could be a cause tooSame for you on the plane

 

[quadsRme]

Add OPCxtra to your supplement list, I started using it a few years ago. I was experiencing zip for immune response when exposed to those with flu and colds.
Since taking OPCxtra, haven't felt sick at all.

 

[Ripper]

Try a supplement called Moducare. A winter of -5c to +5c isn't balmy, but it's not harsh either.

How's your sleep? Sleep, immunity and recovery are quite closely linked.

 

[SoNiK4]

I come from a Mediterranean background. Been training and racing for 10 years at elite level.

3 years ago I moved to China for work. The Winter here is harsh (-5 to 5 degrees Celsius); the Summer is boiling hot and humid (i live near Shanghai).

Training in Winter is a real challenge, not because of the cold but because of getting sick. I'm fed up of getting sick on average 1-2 times a month, each time interrupting my base training and keeping me off the bike

I have tried everything known to me: Vitamins, Echinacea, staying warm, 9+ hours of sleep daily, healthy eating, you name it...

How do the pros avoid getting sick? Does anyone have any recommendations?

Once Spring comes, I'm usually quite fine albeit Spring and Autumn are rather inexistent in this part of China since it's either Winter or Summer.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Yes, Transfer Factor Plus by 4Life Research. It is neither a vitamin or a medication (drug).

 

[bladerunner]

Everyone is different so I don't think there is one solution for all here.
Personally, I used to live in a big city and I was always ill once or twice every winter. I have not changed my diet at all but I have moved out of the city and I have not had a cold for 4 years.

Firstly, you mentioned other people in your work place are coughing. In general, do most of your colleagues/friends that you are in contact with also get sick regularly during your winter months? If so, I think it's a case of germs getting passed around. I read that for Garmin last year, Dr. Allen Lim asked/instructed the whole team to wash their hands on a regular basis & it reduced the number of people getting sick!

In terms of diet, do you tend to put on weight during the winter? It is healthy to put on a little weigh/fat during winter to keep the body "insulated". It is also quite important to include good proteins plus a good variety of fruit & veg. Pomelos are great but a diet of only pomelos as fruit is not so great. As you are in China, I'm pretty sure you'll find a good range of fruits/veg and a diet full of variety will give you plenty of options to build up your immune system.

I hope this helps. Gesundheit.

 

[Escarabajo]

Everyone is different so I don't think there is one solution for all here.
Personally, I used to live in a big city and I was always ill once or twice every winter. I have not changed my diet at all but I have moved out of the city and I have not had a cold for 4 years.

Firstly, you mentioned other people in your work place are coughing. In general, do most of your colleagues/friends that you are in contact with also get sick regularly during your winter months? If so, I think it's a case of germs getting passed around. I read that for Garmin last year, Dr. Allen Lim asked/instructed the whole team to wash their hands on a regular basis & it reduced the number of people getting sick!

In terms of diet, do you tend to put on weight during the winter? It is healthy to put on a little weigh/fat during winter to keep the body "insulated". It is also quite important to include good proteins plus a good variety of fruit & veg. Pomelos are great but a diet of only pomelos as fruit is not so great. As you are in China, I'm pretty sure you'll find a good range of fruits/veg and a diet full of variety will give you plenty of options to build up your immune system.

I hope this helps. Gesundheit.

+1. Agree with everything.

I am from Colombia and a few years back I moved to Colorado. Used to get sick quite often during winter. Now, very rarely get sick. Some potential solutions:

- wash hands often.
- Lots of fruits.
- Extra Vitamin C.

A friend of mine who is a nurse and who work with sick patients all the time drinks a Juice called "Noni". She told me that it has worked well for her and her friends in the building. I tried it but I could not tell if it worked because I was healthy all the time already. Then a Chinese lady told me that not getting sick at all is bad also, since your immune system don't get a lot of exercise. Irony. Nowadays I only do what I wrote above.

Good Luck.

 

[scribe]

Check your living environment for things such as mold or other allergens.

Someone put it well up above that top level athletes train right through their illnesses.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

If you are prepared to be a guinea pig, try this traditional Chinese medicine. http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Astragalus.htm

I used to get sick with minor ailments all the time. After a particularly bad year a couple of years ago (sick no less than 10 times!) I started taking a low dose of this daily. I've had one cold since.

Not a scientific study....could be placebo effect....probably wouldn't work for everyone even if it works for some people....usual disclaimers....

 

[Tangled Tango]

I come from a Mediterranean background. Been training and racing for 10 years at elite level.

3 years ago I moved to China for work. The Winter here is harsh (-5 to 5 degrees Celsius); the Summer is boiling hot and humid (i live near Shanghai).

Training in Winter is a real challenge, not because of the cold but because of getting sick. I'm fed up of getting sick on average 1-2 times a month, each time interrupting my base training and keeping me off the bike

I have tried everything known to me: Vitamins, Echinacea, staying warm, 9+ hours of sleep daily, healthy eating, you name it...

How do the pros avoid getting sick? Does anyone have any recommendations?

Once Spring comes, I'm usually quite fine albeit Spring and Autumn are rather inexistent in this part of China since it's either Winter or Summer.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

A couple more suggestions for your diet: Add as much garlic as you can, both in your cooked meals and raw minced in your salads. Since you´re in China you probably already have a fair amount of fresh ginger in your diet, if not that is a great cleanser and tastes good too. Both ginger and garlic are easy to cook with and are extremely tasty when used well.

 

[python]

the immune response is very complex.

as an elite athlete with a full time job you need to find your own proper rest schedule between the training loads. nutrition etc are all important but if you dont have an underlying health problem - which is best diagnosed by an immunologist via a blood test - you need to allow for sufficient recovery.

that's where i would start.

 

[crazybiker]

Humid

Try a supplement called Moducare. A winter of -5c to +5c isn't balmy, but it's not harsh either.

How's your sleep? Sleep, immunity and recovery are quite closely linked.

Harsh in the sense that humidity is usually 80%+ even when it's freezing cold. That makes my blankets feel humid Sleep is quite good (8.5hours+ daily on average)

 

[crazybiker]

Will try

If you are prepared to be a guinea pig, try this traditional Chinese medicine. http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/Astragalus.htm

I used to get sick with minor ailments all the time. After a particularly bad year a couple of years ago (sick no less than 10 times!) I started taking a low dose of this daily. I've had one cold since.

Not a scientific study....could be placebo effect....probably wouldn't work for everyone even if it works for some people....usual disclaimers....

Thanks; will try

 

[crazybiker]

Mold..hmmm

Check your living environment for things such as mold or other allergens.

Someone put it well up above that top level athletes train right through their illnesses.

Mold is common here since the humidity is high. In fact, I have several mold removing containers in each clothing closet... I'll make sure to open my windows for a few hours everyday. Thanks!

 

[crazybiker]

The weight issue

Everyone is different so I don't think there is one solution for all here.
Personally, I used to live in a big city and I was always ill once or twice every winter. I have not changed my diet at all but I have moved out of the city and I have not had a cold for 4 years.

Firstly, you mentioned other people in your work place are coughing. In general, do most of your colleagues/friends that you are in contact with also get sick regularly during your winter months? If so, I think it's a case of germs getting passed around. I read that for Garmin last year, Dr. Allen Lim asked/instructed the whole team to wash their hands on a regular basis & it reduced the number of people getting sick!

In terms of diet, do you tend to put on weight during the winter? It is healthy to put on a little weigh/fat during winter to keep the body "insulated". It is also quite important to include good proteins plus a good variety of fruit & veg. Pomelos are great but a diet of only pomelos as fruit is not so great. As you are in China, I'm pretty sure you'll find a good range of fruits/veg and a diet full of variety will give you plenty of options to build up your immune system.

I hope this helps. Gesundheit.

Thanks for your Gesundheit

Germs spreading around might be a reason

Regarding diet; since I have a 6ft2 build, and reducing my body fat would definately enable me to achieve better results (It's my major limiter in races), I made it a point to start my Base training at a lower body weight than in previous years.

In fact, since it is advisable to remove body fat (lose weight) during the base period, and since it will also be difficult to lose fat while racing and training at higher intensities, I am indeed focusing on reducing my body weight in order to help improve my power to weight ratio and improve my most difficult limiter- my climbing.

I had thought about the fact that I'm 3Kg lighter than usual at this time of the season and that my reduced body fat might make me more susceptible to illnesses. However, my racing will start at the end of March and from experience, once I start racing, it will be difficult to lose weight with week-in week-out racing, since a reduction of calories during racing would compromise race performance and recovery.

And honestly, I worked so hard to reduce my body weight in order to get a head-start in achieving my goals, the last thing I want to do is put on weight and reduce the possibility of good race results.

 

[crazybiker]

Will do

A couple more suggestions for your diet: Add as much garlic as you can, both in your cooked meals and raw minced in your salads. Since you´re in China you probably already have a fair amount of fresh ginger in your diet, if not that is a great cleanser and tastes good too. Both ginger and garlic are easy to cook with and are extremely tasty when used well.

Will do; thanks

 

[ustabe]

Ever wonder what would have been had Keith Richards taken up cycling instead of rock and roll?

 

[Psalmon]

Ever wonder what would have been had Keith Richards taken up cycling instead of rock and roll?

Pxszziieeerrrrr! Where'd that come from?

Agree with much of what has been said. Sleep, a little extra weight and I've had some seemingly good results taking Zinc supplements this Winter in particular. With several grade-school kids at multiple schools it's hard to dodge 'em all, but I've had good luck this winter, and Zinc was the only add.