Is it OK to train with a cold?

Continuing to ride through a virus is far from best practice, warns Glen Davison

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Most upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are caused by viruses. Familiar to us all, they include the common cold and similar illnesses with symptoms such as cough, sore throat and runny or blocked nose. More serious infections such as influenza (AKA flu) and SARS-CoV-2 (AKA Covid-19) can affect both the upper and lower respiratory tract, inflict more serious symptoms and take longer to recover from. Most of us suffer a common cold or similar URTI two to four times per year, usually clustered over winter.

Some athletes contract more URTIs than is normal in the general population (for reasons we don’t have space to cover here). There are a few things we can do to reduce the risk of contracting such infections, many of which we learnt during the Covid-19 pandemic. These include practices and behaviours that minimise our exposure to pathogens that cause URTIs, or make it harder for these tiny organisms to enter our bodies.

Although not always feasible for athletes, the effective strategies include avoiding crowded places and contact with potentially infected individuals. If you can, at least avoid contact with large numbers of people at the key times when we know our defences are slightly lowered (e.g. in the few hours immediately after a very hard and/or long training session or race).

All athletes should practise the personal hygiene procedures that we grew so accustomed to during the pandemic, i.e. regular, thorough handwashing or handsanitising, and avoiding touching the face, mouth and eyes. Finally, help ensure that your immune system is optimised by looking after yourself: eat well and get seven to eight hours sleep every night. Do your best to manage ‘controllable’ factors that might reduce the quality of your sleep or nutrition.