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Training While Sick
 Nothing can bring progress to a halt more than when you are
sick. We are often
asked the question, should I
train while I
am sick? The answer to that question really depends on what you mean by sick. Is
it a cold? The flu?
Allergies? Most people confuse the common cold for the flu. However, these
are different types of illnesses. The flu is caused by viruses known as
Influenza A or Influenza B, while the common cold is caused by viruses called
corona viruses and rhinoviruses. There are over 200 different types of
corona viruses and rhinoviruses. If one of them hits you, your
immune system builds a
lifelong immunity to it (therefore, the same virus will never hit you twice).
However, you have the rest of the viruses that have not yet affected you to
worry about; and there are enough to last a lifetime.
The flu, as you may have already found out by experience, is much more severe as
it is usually accompanied by an array of
body aches
and fever. Therefore, your body’s immune system is taxed much more by the flu
than by the common cold. At this time, training would not only be detrimental to
muscle growth, but it would also be very detrimental to your health as well.
Remember that while training can help us
gain muscle,
lose fat, feel good and
energetic, it is
still a catabolic activity. The body needs to be in
good health in order to go
from the catabolic state caused by the exercise to an anabolic state of
recuperation and muscle growth. So if you have the flu, your body is already
fighting a catabolic state caused by the influenza virus. In this case,
weight training
would only add more catabolism, which in turn would negatively affect the
efficacy of the immune system against the virus, causing you to get sicker.
Therefore, absolutely no training if you have the flu. Instead,
 concentrate on very good
nutrition and on drinking large amounts of fluids (water
and electrolyte replacement drinks in order to prevent dehydration).
Once the flu completely runs its course, you can slowly start up the
workout on
week 1 starting with light weights. Don’t push yourself too hard during this
first week. The next week you’ll repeat week 1 again, but pushing yourself
closer to muscular failure. By the
second week of the program you should be on track.
If it is the common cold that is hitting you and the particular virus is mild
(you know that it is mild when your symptoms are just a runny nose and slight
coughing), you may get away with training as long as you stop the sets short of
reaching muscular failure and you decrease the weight poundage by 25 percent
(divide the weights that you usually use by 4 and that will give you the amount
of weight that you need to take off bar) in order to prevent you from pushing
too hard. Again, if the cold virus is causing you to feel run down, achy, with a
sore throat and headache,
it would be best to stop training all together, until the symptoms subside. If
this is the case, follow the exercise program start-up recommendations described
above for after the flu. Remember that we do not want to make it any harder for
the immune system to fight the virus by introducing more catabolic activity, so
intense training is out during that time.
If your ailment is something other than the common cold or the flu, consult your
doctor.
Prevention Tips during Flu season
Now that we have seen how a flu or a cold can throw a wrench into your
progress, let’s see how we can prevent them from affecting us during the flu
season or during any other season for that matter.
While it is still unknown why the cold and flu season generally comes during the
winter months, it is known that you have to let the virus into your system in
order for it to affect you. Therefore, it is only logical that we implement a
two-fold prevention approach:
Prevent the virus from infiltrating your system. Keeping in mind that cold
viruses spread by human contact, that they get into your system through the
mouth, eyes and nose, and that they can remain active for up to three hours, you
can accomplish this by doing the following:
-
Keep your hands away from your face.
-
 Wash your hands with anti bacterial soap frequently throughout the day
(especially as soon as you finish your workout at the gym).
-
Maintain immune system operation at peak efficiency levels at all times.
-
-
Maintain a
balanced
diet and avoid processed foods that contain high levels of saturated
fats,
refined flours or
sugar since these types
of foods lower the immune system function.
-
Get a healthy dose of sleep
a day (anywhere from 7 to 9 hours depending on your individual requirements).
So remember, stay healthy by following the tips above, and if you get sick,
then "don't beat a tired horse" as former Mr. Olympia Lee Haney used to say.
Rest until you get better! If you don’t you will end up more seriously ill and
this will take you out of the gym for a longer period of time.
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