Cycling, lung health and covid

[horizon]

Maybe worth noting that the severe impacts of Covid-19 can be caused by the body immune system over-reacting - a cytokine storm. As to how the risk of such issues relate to "lung health" or even immune system "health" I'd be uncertain.

So yes, a person with a good "lung health" score (for want perhaps of a better term) avoids that fate while someone with a lower score might face greater difficulties. This implies of course a certain predictive effect (and I think there have been efforts to predict outcomes in people especially those where a decision about ventilator use is required) but I'm hoping to keep it simpler - more along the lines of "get the bike out, do the test(s) at home, repeat". I'm also thinking that this is really only for people aged 50 - 70 who are in a realistic position to act on it.

[horizon]

Grist for the mill perhaps from a parallel thread:

Stevek76 wrote:
Also the overlap with CV is worth considering here, it seems likely to me that the UK's CV death toll has been exacerbated to some degree by the health levels of the population, even a year ago there was strong data that obesity and inactivity increased risks of being seriously affected.

More here:

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=143999

[531colin]

As an ex fellrunner with what was then,very high cardio,pulmonary and vascular levels,I can say,in all honesty,I,m HEALTHIER now,30yrs later,with decent cycling fitness.What I mean is,I would pick up two or three infections a year when training hard every day at a younger age whereas now,at 68,I never get any ,despite cycling at least 4-5times a week in all weathers.Draw whatever conclusions you fancy.

Overtraining or other types of stress increase your chance of picking up an infection. It doesn't matter if you train on a bike or not.

[ANTONISH]

This study https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ful ... acel.12750 of lung health and immune response in older long-distance cyclists has been discussed somewhere on here before (but I can't immediately find where).

The study was also briefly summarised in this BBC report https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43308729

The study was obviously done before Covid-19 came on the scene, so it relates to the immune system in general rather than to any improved outcomes with Covid-19.

There was always an intention to bring back that original cohort after a few years to repeat the tests.
It would be interesting to see how that group had fared during the pandemic.

[fastpedaller]

Lots of unknowns re covid of course. I think I had covid Jan 2020, but will never know because testing wasn't available, and it was all very new. I had terrific joint pain and no energy whatsoever. To give some history, I'm just over 60, used to compete in time trials up to 12hrs, and still regularly cycle, doing several hours most Sundays as my 'main' day. Still up to 100 miles in 6 hrs in Summer. Anyway, this flu-like 'bug' which I was suffering from didn't affect my breathing. I'd never had a flu or similar, and after a week I vowed to go to docs if there was no improvement in 3 days. After another 3 days it subsided and improved to 'normal', after another week. During the Summer my longest ride was 86 last year (cut down on 100 due to lack of cafe stop ). During this wet/cold weather around Christmas I usually do less, and fear of falling on ice certainly keeps me off the bike. 4 weeks ago I had pain in my R leg and back and within a week I was diagnosed with shingles! Whether I had covid Jan 2020, I'll never know, but as an aside, there have been press reports on a lot of ex-covid people now getting shingles. Who knows, be careful out there.

[531colin]

Shingles is an interesting one. This is from memory of a very long time ago, so check my "facts" are right if you intend to use this information....it could be misinformation!
You get chicken pox as a kid. You get over it and generally you can't get it again, that is you are immune. However, some virus survives by hiding away in the nerve cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia. (I think that makes them sensory nerves, which is why shingles is quite so painful.) Within the nerve cell bodies, the virus isn't available to antibodies. During a period of stress, the virus is able to break out again and travels down the nerve fibres and produces skin vesicles; the distribution of the vesicles follows the distribution of the spinal nerve which carries the virus.
At about 70 years of age you are offered a booster jab against shingles; I guess this boosts your immunity to the virus so it can't break out even in periods of stress. (in general, the immune system deteriorates with age, much like everything else )

[Psamathe]

I would be interested in how lung health relates to general health for cyclists i.e. if cycling is driving your "god health" I'd expect that to be more general good health (circulation, musculature, bones, immune system, etc., incl. lungs).

And making lots of unfounded supposition (NO EVIDENCE PRESENTED) I wonder if it might be possible that depending on the environment some cyclists may maintain better general health but lungs might not get the same benefits e.g. where much of cycling carried out city commuting in rush hour.

Ian

[Boring_Username]

An interesting study here: https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(20)31130-7/pdf

It strikes me as common sense that those adapted to breathing under stress - when exercising - will find it easier to breathe under stress - when infected with Covid. But very much a layman's perspective of course!