How not to get sick after training or running in rain and cold weather, what to do to prevent colds

What to do not to get sick after training? How not to catch a cold in the fall?

Let’s find out together with a sports doctor.

To avoid getting sick after training, you need to remember a few basic rules and understand how the body works. At the moment of intense load during the training process in the body increases the speed of all processes, and we begin to sweat. Of course, going outside from the locker room in this state, you can quickly catch a cold. At this point it is important to do everything to let the body cool down.

In any case, after the load, on average, up to two hours of time passes for full recovery, when the body comes to a normal state. We tell you what to do to avoid getting sick.

candidate of medical sciences, sports doctor, rehabilitologist

A cold is a household name for acute infectious inflammation of the upper respiratory tract. It is almost impossible to distinguish between ARVI, influenza and now coronavirus. This is the main risk: the influenza virus can penetrate into the heart muscle, myocardium and cause its inflammation – myocarditis.

Daftar Isi

Do not hurry to go outside

Smooth change of temperature regime is the most important nuance, otherwise the body will not have time to adapt. Do not forget to dress well and warmly, even if you just need to run to the car. After training it is best, of course, to go straight home or to work. The main thing is to endure the next two hours in some closed space, then the risks of getting sick will be minimized.

Alexandra: Breakdown of adaptation to increase or change of physical activity is when the body tries to adjust its systems to reduce energy expenditure, but it fails. This condition is usually expressed by overexertion, namely a state of pre-disease or disease (signs of pre-disease are reversible, unlike the disease itself).

Observe the temperature regime

Incorrectly selected temperature regime (temperature of sports premises and environment, clothing) can cause profuse sweating. Therefore, it is important to choose clothes made of modern technological materials, which will not only maintain a static temperature of the skin, but also quickly absorb moisture and dry.

When exercising outdoors in the cold season, it is worth giving preference to multi-layered clothing. The bottom layer is thermal underwear, and the top layer is a windproof suit. Staying in wet clothes in cold weather is dangerous for your health.

Alexandra: Supporting the body with adaptogens – ginseng, Chinese lemongrass – will strengthen the immune system. Also, the adaptive potential of a person increases the gaining popularity of hypoxic training, in which oxygen consumption is slightly reduced – this helps to increase the functional reserve of the body. An analog of such an impact can be barotherapy, in which a person is placed in a barochamber.

Harden yourself

“Cold treatment” at ultra-low temperatures accelerates metabolism, blood flow, favorably affects the nervous system.

Alexandra: Any cold, even in a mild form, activates cortisol (stress hormone), and therefore suppresses anabolism – stops the growth of muscle tissue. In the process of training, catabolism (muscle breakdown) is triggered. And recovery after training in this state will not happen. You will work on the muscles in the minus.

What to do? Do not exercise until all the signs of a cold have completely passed. If you have a severe cold (with fever over 37.5, prolonged cough and runny nose), give yourself 3-4 extra days to recover.

Keeping the usual calorie intake, divide it into 4-5 meals with intervals of 3-4 hours. The emphasis should be on long carbohydrates.