Training and immune system

[toonraider]

I started rowing about 1½ years ago, but only started getting more serious, rowing more than twice a week, about 3-4 months ago.

I am currently following the c2 interactive training program, or that is, would be following it, if I wasnt ill, which is the reason for my question.

1-2 months I got nemonia, and of cause had to take an involountary brake from training. af about 1½ weeks, I started up gently and it progressed nicely. Then, 1½ weeks ago, I got an inflammation of the throat, and is still feeling down, and on penicillin.

What I am wondering is, that i have never had any of those illnesses before, and have in general never been sick much. But after I stated using the training program, I´ve been struck with all sorts of illnesses.

I am/was "only" training 4 times a week, and although the program is tough, I dont feel like I don´t have time to recover between sessions.
Is it at all possible that the training has caused my immune system to decrease in efficency, resorting in these illnesses, og should I just write it of as "bad luck"? Has anyone else had any simular experiences?

Best regards
Michael

[BobD]

Bad luck in this case.

[gcanyon]

My guess would be bad luck. I haven't been sick in the four months I've been rowing.

Maybe others will say different.

[DavidA]

I would say it is most likely bad luck.
Hope you stay healthy, and exercising for a long time.

David

[Yukon John]

Since it doesn't sound like you are over-training I'd have to agree that it sounds like bad luck. I've been rowing for almost a year now, work in a setting with a lot of germs and haven't had a sniffle. If you don't over train, eat well, get enough sleep and wash your hands a lot you should be able to avoid most of the nasties. Good luck with your health ! John.

[TomR]

My understanding is that regular exercise improves the immune system.

If, however, you do a very strenuous workout, I understand that your immune system will be suppressed for several hours following that effort.

With all that said, I have had one cold during the past 5 years during which I have been rowing regularly.

Tom

[toonraider]

Hi everybody.

Thanks for you replyes.

I am also pretty sure, that I can mostly write it of as bad luck, nice to get my hunch confirmed.

I agree though, that you immune system weakens dramatically in a short period following af hard workout, which is also kind of the reason I posted this topic. My throat infection appeared within a few hours of a hard workout.
No need to worry that I will stop erging for that reason though. I love erging and the C2, so that wont happen

Best regards
Michael

[LJWagner]

If in training, you are now sick a lot oftener, plays the odds. You are VERY likely overdoing it. Don't assume the opposite, but do wash your hands more often, stay away from sick people, etc.

If a poker player mostly loses, is it just the cards, or also him ? Likely he is playing weaker hands than he should be, way too often. You are playing poker with your health and training, and not winning by the sounds of it.

If you were healthy and never got sick, then started a pretty intense workout program, and were then sick on a regular basis, I'd make a connection. Why even ask anyone ?

Get an HR monitor, and just back off your HR rate about 10 bpm for awhile on everything you are doing. If you get sick less, then it was your intensity level, and you were making yourself too run down. Fatigue also goes along with getting sick often. Or just take a few weeks and do moderate length cardio only. You will either feel a lot better, or only a bit worse.

In one of my physio books, it says it normally takes 2-3 weeks to make a 5% gain, but only one week of inactivity to lose it. There are folks whose response is different, but this is about standard. You have been sick off and one for months, but you want to believe you have not lost conditioning. Stop pretending, and back off. You'll feel better, stop getting sick, and start making real progress when you resume training at an appropriate level.

[Byron Drachman]

Hi Michael,
Are you doing your erging at a gym or at home? If at a gym, it's good to clean the ergometer, especially the handle, before using it. It's a good idea to keep the C2 at home clean, but it's even more important at a gym. I hope you stay healthy.
Byron

[zenpharaohs]

Training hard can reduce your immune function. But it's not that there is nothing you can do about it. Carbohydrate supplementation can help. Here is a publication based on wildland fire fighting crews; they have activity which is equivalent of very heavy training.

http://fire.r6.fws.gov/safety/spring2004.pdf

[jamesg]

I wonder why so many seem to think (hope?) keeping fit could cause backache, depress immune systems or whatever, and lead to illness, rather than cure the lot. Just an excuse to use the sofa? I've been at rugby, swimming and rowing since I was 11, and never saw any correlation between hard work and bugs, save maybe a negative one.

Even falling in a black Thames (as it was in those days) in winter did me no harm, nor rowing on same with ice on the oars.

Now going to the flicks or on a tram, or having kids at school, these were certain ways to catch one of the 200 odd cold viruses; but since I gave up these excellent pastimes, nothing more. Could be I've got through all 200 tho'.

[johnlvs2run]

It is well known that antibiotics run down your immune system.

The cause is not your training, but is the other things you are doing.

Your primarly objective should be to do the things that keep you in good health.

[tinmansteve]

Michael,

I'm a 56 yr. old heart transplant recipient (6 years now) and immunosuppresants are part of my daily protocol. Even with this "handicap" I've had no illnesses siince beginning my rowing routine. I do 30 minutes 2-4 times a week, a 45 minute cybex circuit 2-3 times a week and walk 15-25 miles a week. I'd have to agree with the consensus that your getting sick has been a product of bad luck. Unless you've been working yourself to the point of exhaustion rowing. Good luck!

Steve

[H2O]

If you use the C2 interactive guide you need to be very careful how you intreprete the pace guidelines. If you are on the fast edge of the pace at all times then this program can do you in.

I believe that too much high intensity exercise (AT, TR, AN) can reduce your immune function. In my case AT, TR alone was good enougth for that. I have never done any AN sessions.

Early symptom: crusting around the eyes in the morning. Next: susceptibility to
respiratory infection.

I follow Xeno's program which has much less high intensity work and is in my view
by far the best program I have seen.

[fatboyslim]

I'm sitting here with another cold, reading old posts, drinking plenty of fluilds, etc., and I found your old post. I thought it was just my bad luck to catch another cold in a month till I read your post. I play hockey 4-5 times a week and through crossfit's website I was introduced to rowing. I did the 100,000 meter challenge before Christmas and found that it really added some acceleration to my skating. So now I'm hooked, I still skate but I just row 2-4 times per week. I might catch a cold once a year, and usually with echinacea I can stop a cold in it's tracks. But not the last two. What I find interesting is you mention the crusting of the eyes in the morning. I normally don't get much of that, but recently before the colds, enough to make me notice it. What causes the eye crusting? My resting pulse has stayed down and I didn' t feel overly fatigued. I'm now forced to take rest, and the rust that goes with it. FBS