Ride all winter

10 scientifically proven ways to bolster your immunity

- James Witts

01 Coverit up

You have thermoreceptors all over your body - nerve endings that sense temperature, there to deliver immediate feedback to your brain to ensure your thermal protection. But did you know that applies to your airways too?

“Interestingly, your respiratory system (sinuses, mouth, throat and lungs) is like your skin in that it’s directly exposed to the environment because there’s no barrier to the ambient environment,” says Dr Michael Kennedy, associate professor in the faculty of kinesiology at the University of Alberta, who specialises in an athlete’s response to extreme environments. “That’s why your lungs, like your skin, are particularly vulnerable to cold air conditions; breathing cold air can trigger thermoreceptors in the upper respiratory system that affect your cardiovascular response to exercise.”

Research shows that when you ride at a hard intensity, your lungs do a pretty good job at warming and humidifying air. However, if the temperatures plummet, it affects the lining of your lungs, leading to constriction and respiratory symptoms, such as coughing, a burning throat, wheezing and an overflow of mucus.

“That’s why covering your mouth and nostrils is recommended, as it reduces strain on the respiratory system, which in turn reduces cold-induced exercise bronchoconstriction,” says Kennedy. “Recent research has also found that maintaining temperature in your nostrils preserves your ability to fight off inhaled viruses.”

Wear something like a Buff or balaclava when it’s breath-viewingly cold outside. Or stay indoors and hop on the turbo trainer.

02 Boostyourbacteria