How do I ..? Avoid colds

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Written by: Tim Costello, 4 July 2008
Last updated: 4 July 2008

Who should read this?

This article is intended for anyone who wishes to try and avoid colds and their like.

Runny noses

Sounds like a punk band doesn't it? Had more than your fair share of colds and infections? Damned irritating are'nt they?
Colds are caused by viruses and have nothing to do with being cold. How do you catch viruses? Off other people. So to avoid colds, avoid other people.

Colds are passed mainly by getting close to people with colds. It has been said that you have more chance of catching a cold from someone by shaking hands than by kissing them. No wonder the French go in for all that kissing. Why? Because people with colds spend their entire time touching their noses and thus smearing the germs all over their hands.

The immune system

So apart from avoiding people, how else can you avoid colds? By looking after your immune system.
Your immune system is effected by the amount of stress placed upon it. The greater the stress, the weaker your immune system will be. Stress comes in many forms, but there are two main types, physical and emotional.

We place physical stress on our bodies when we train. Lots of training means lots of stress.

Emotional stress is important to and often overlooked. Emotional stress comes in lots of forms. Worrying about being made redundant, a turbulent love life, facing exams, stressful commuting, pressure of deadlines at work, worrying that England will be knocked out of the World Cup (so no worries there then), etc..

Protecting the immune system

The immune system is worn down by over training, so read How do i? Avoid over training.

It has been proven in more than one study that taking on board carboydrate whilst you are training reduces the impact on your immune system. So take an enery drink rather than just plain water. Of course, we recommend SIS products.

There is a half hour window after you stop training when you are most susceptible to picking up illnesses. So try to avoid sneezy children (etc.) during this time.

I shan't bore you with the science, OK I don't understand it, but L-Glutamine has been proven in studies to reduce the incidence of URTIs. That's upper respirotary throat infections, or sore throats in simple terms. SIS sell Glutamine. I'm not on commission, but I reckon from personal experience that it does make a difference.

What if someone in my house has a cold?

Vicks sell First Defence Protective Hand Foam which you rub onto your hands. This is supposed to protect your hands "for hours" from the cold virus. They also sell a First Defence nasal spray to help kill off the germs in your nose before they have a chance to take hold.

What do I do if I have a cold?

As soon as you think you have a cold you need to swing your recovery plan into action. Firstly take large doses of vitamin C. Vitamin C helps fight infection and you cannot overdose on it. Excess is passed out of the body. The worst that can happen is that it gives you the "Tripoli Trots", and you need to take a lot to achieve that. As with all vitamins, go for a good quality product such as Biocare.

Start to, or continue to use, the Vicks First Defence nasal spray.

Eat spicy food, such as curries, chillis, peppers etc. It's not folk lore. It's scientifically proven.

Eat chicken soup. Another proven remedy.

You can also take Echinacea (pronounced "Ekin-asia"), but there are mixed reports from scientifically based studies. Personally I no longer bother.

Should I train during a cold?

Personally I do not. Your body, in my opinion, needs to rest to recover from the cold. There is a significant danger that you will be doing more harm than good. As with all illnesses, you should not return immediately to intense training after a cold. This is a sure recipe to further illness. Build up again gradually and listen to your body.

Be positive!

Fighting illness is also about being positive. Research shows that people's mental state has a lot to do with illness. If you are unhappy and feeling negative then you increase your chances of being ill. If you have a cold and cannot go cycling do something that cheers you up. Whatever it is do it, as long as it is not illegal or fattening.