Introduction
One of my friends requested I do a blog post about how I prevent and treat cold/flu/respiratory issues as an athlete. Fortunately, I haven’t been sick for 4 years, so I must be doing something right! I used to get sick consistently every winter, dealing with two colds before the ’08 Olympic Trials, a fractured rib from a bad cold/cough in ’07, and getting pneumonia my freshman year of college. I thought it would be beneficial to share with others how I personally prevent getting sick and then also how I treat any respiratory stuff (~I still tend to get hay fever from environmental changes).
Prevention
Basically, Vit. D is a fat-soluble micronutrient/steroid synthesized through your skin via exposure to UVB light (~sun or sunlamps/tanning beds). Since there’s less sunlight and exposure in the winter, everyone’s Vit. D status tends to drop, unless you’re supplementing or getting adequate UVB exposure. Just because you’re a runner, you shouldn’t assume you’re getting enough UVB exposure! I’ve had runner friends (including one who’s a dietician) who found out they have low Vit. D. Vit. D is needed to synthesize certain immune cells needed to fight off infection. There is consequently a link between the drop in serum Vit. D and the incidence of colds/flu. There’s a great research study about this here .
I should also add that Vit. D is a crucial micronutrient for both bone and muscle health. If you find you’re someone who’s more vulnerable to bone/muscle-related injuries during the winter (vs. the summer), it could be due to low Vit. D.
Given the above, it’s highly recommended to meet with a doctor to know what your Vit. D status is. You can also get general blood testing done (minus a visit to the doctor) at: http://www.healthcheckusa.com . Depending on the testing units, you should be above 50 ng/ml . A safe daily amount to take (according to the Linus Pauling Institute) is 2,000 IUs/day. If you find out your Vit. D status is low, a doctor can prescribe larger doses.
I found an excellent iron physiology review article. Whereas too much iron can cause oxidative stress/inflammation/chronic disease, chronic inflammatory diseases (along with numerous other health issues) can cause anemia. Additionally, iron does play a critical role in immune cell defense… read below (ID=iron deficiency, and FID= functional iron deficiency):
“Cellular immune responses are also dependent on the presence of iron, and specific defects in cell-mediated immunity have been described in detail, even in mild ID, including the impaired proliferation and function of lymphocytes and natural killer cells, and a depressed neutrophil respiratory burst[25,26]. Thus, ID or FID may lead not only to a blunted erythropoiesis and chronic fatigue, but also to an inappropriate immune response. For this reason, systemic inflammatory response episodes last longer in critically ill patients with FID, and result in prolonged stay in the intensive care unit and increased morbidity[27].”
Furthermore, there’s research showing that iron and B12 help alleviate or prevent unexplained coughs (see iron article and B12 article ). As the author states, “Bucca suspects that iron deficiency damages the tissues that line the mouth and nose, back of the throat and trachea, making them more vulnerable to irritants and more prone to inflammation.”
Sufficient iron and B12 means having enough oxygen-carrying RBCs, and having more oxygen is certainly not a bad thing for overall health.
I’m also a big proponent of both AirHealth (or the generic) and Emergen-C when I travel and taking post-race. Funny enough, it seems a lot of other elites have caught onto these supplements, and they even offered it in the elite suite at NYC. They both have hefty doses of B vitamins, Vit. C, and other immune-boosting micronutrients (plus I’ll take them with iron pills when going to races).
You may have heard the phrase, “Don’t go out in the cold air with wet hair or you’ll get sick!” First off, to get sick, you have to have been exposed to something. Secondly, you have to have a suppressed immune system. It’s the “going-out-in-the-cold-with-wet-hair” part that stresses and suppresses the immune system, making you vulnerable if you’ve been exposed to something. If you saw my previous posts about “Heat training” and last week’s post “Keep the muscles warm”, I think keeping the body warm goes hand-in-hand with keeping the immune system strong and not stressing/suppressing it.
As far as washing your hands, I’m keen with washing my hands frequently (esp. after taking Microbiology as an undergrad!). I wouldn’t say I’m doing anything differently than before I started supplementing and heat training. I travel fairly frequently as well and am around a lot of people and different environments. I’m of the opinion that keeping the immune system strong through supplementation with Vit. D/iron/B12 has been far more effective for preventing illness than washing hands!
Treatment
Fortunately as mentioned, I haven’t dealt with a cold since 2008. However, I have issues with seasonal/environmental hay fever (although I haven’t had the problem…. yet…. in Oklahoma). I seem to breath better in dry, cold or hot air, rather than moist cold/hot air. Since I travel and race a lot all over the country, I definitely notice a difference in my ability to breath, with some places being worse than others. It can be frustrating at times to go somewhere, and not be able to breath properly! I visited a doctor last spring to get checked for allergies and asthma, and while nothing showed up…. he still said there’s a possibility I have exercise-induced asthma. I don’t take anything for it, and considering I breath much better in Oklahoma…. I don’t feel the need to do anything about it.
Anyways, when I do feel a bout of hay fever coming on, my “go to” product is daytime/non-drowsy Theraflu (or the generic version). Someone recommended it to me about 10 years ago. The old version of Theraflu contained pseudoephedrine, which is banned by WADA/USADA (and was/is a critical component for meth?). However, the new version of Theraflu is safe…. tastes terrible, but it dries you up so you can breath!
My Irish husband’s Mom is big on drinking hot toddies…. ~hot water or tea with a shot of whiskey/brandy, honey and lemon. Heck, you could take straight shots of whiskey to kill any bad bacteria in your throat (but mind you, the Wikipedia page for hot toddies warns against alcohol making you dehydrated, so make sure you’re hydrating well!).
This brings up the point about hydration: if you’re sick, make sure you’re getting a lot of fluids/water/Gatorade/Ginger ale/7-Up/hot beverages to replace what you lose. I got food poisoning back in winter ’09 and had to drink Ensure to get myself back to normal. Chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers are good because of the sodium (helps water retention) and easy digestion.
Additional stuff we use is Vicks Vapor Rub on your nose/throat/chest at nighttime (wrapped with a scarf) and then also sucking on Fisherman’s Friends (~lozengers). I think the ability to breath, get in oxygen, and sleep adequately is critical to getting rid of what’s is ailing you. The body builds and repairs itself in your sleep.
Antibiotics are both good and bad. It kills a whole “spectrum” of bacteria, both good and bad (just to kill the bad!). Your body must replace and rebuild the good bacteria (~probiotics– yogurt), and in the meantime…. you’re more susceptible to further illness. Antiobiotics will wipe you out…. so why doctor’s even prescribe such a thing to athletes mid-season…. is beyond me! It’s also important to point out that antibiotics kill bacterial infections, NOT a virus (cold and flu = virus…. although you could have a virus + bacterial infection at the same time). With flu-shots– you’re given a dead virus to trigger an immune response, so you have the immune cells to fend off the flu if you’re exposed (and vulnerable) to it. If you’re going to get a flu-shot, do it after the season…. not during, when you could get a bad reaction from it.
Conclusion
Anyways, these are my thoughts on the matter! Illness (and injuries!) are an athlete’s worst enemy. If anyone has anything to add or share, feel free to give your input.