Avoiding illness cycling in the winter

[craigr12]

Without wishing to seem melodramatic (my wife would disagree here) it seems like every time I've been on my bike commuting in the cold, I've ended up ill. A couple of weeks ago I reckon I wrecked my throat breathing cold air through my mouth. I got a bit better, tried again deliberately closing my mouth - throat grand, sinuses trashed.

In my thirties, I commuted 150 miles a week all weathers and felt just dandy. I'm 52 now and I'm fairly scunnered at the present situation. I've had COVID and suspect something post-vital may be going on but I've no medical support for that self-diagnosis. Is there something I can do to keep healthy or do I have to meekly accept the aging process?

Thanks,
Craig

[Stradageek]

I struggle to keep fit through the winter because I pick up every cold that's going around. Cycling in the cold exacerbates this weakness, having two small grandchildren at school and nursery multiplies the available bugs. But I've had this problem all my life, at 68/9 it seems no worse. My cure is to dream of illness free summer rides whilst I lie on the settee catching up on favourite films and reading avidly.

You have my sympathies

[Nearholmer]

Have you considered seeking the advice of a doctor, because in my experience and to my knowledge, simply being out in cold, damp air shouldn’t of itself make you ill. I reckon the converse: that exercising in chilly conditions improves immunity (genuine experts serm divided on this, many say it does, but some say it doesn’t!).

My son and I were talking about this only the other day, and saying that both of our propensity to catch colds has increased this winter as we’ve been exercising less in the cold and damp than previous years (he ceased playing footy regularly, and I’ve dropped right down to only two bike rides each week), so he’s signed-up to another half-marathon and begun training for that.

PS: I’m 65yo, and I know plenty of people older who exercise pretty hard outdoors in the winter, so no, I don’t think that at 52yo you should simply accept that it’s harming you.

[Ron]

I have a Neck Warmer/Snood which adds greatly to my comfort whilst cycling in lower temperatures, it takes the 'bite' out of the cold air.
The basic model is just a sleeve of Lycra, it covers the nose and mouth without restricting breathing and goes under various trade-names and costs less than a tenner.
Google 'Cold weather protection for throat', it will throw up a range to select from.
Worth a try!

[MelW]

Diet. Take natural Vit C squeezed lemon and lime everyday as our bodies cannot store it and lay off all the crap UPF food eg wheat, grains, starch, carbs and sugar. Eat meat lots of it and eggs as they both contain MANY essential vitamins and minerals essential for our immune system.

[gbnz]

Without wishing to seem melodramatic (my wife would disagree here) it seems like every time I've been on my bike commuting in the cold, I've ended up ill. A couple of weeks ago I reckon I wrecked my throat breathing cold air through my mouth. I got a bit better, tried again deliberately closing my mouth - throat grand, sinuses trashed.

In my thirties, I commuted 150 miles a week all weathers and felt just dandy. I'm 52 now and I'm fairly scunnered at the present situation. I've had COVID and suspect something post-vital may be going on but I've no medical support for that self-diagnosis. Is there something I can do to keep healthy or do I have to meekly accept the aging process?

Thanks,
Craig

Read up on medical science ? Whilst not from a medical background, have a science based degree and @ 52yr's.........am very much of that half of those individuals locally, who haven't been coughing their guts up, for the past two months (Nb. Has been horrific, found myself with others, having to wear masks outdoors & gloves in the 2 days before Christmas)

We have a notably socio economically divided town, the lower half are heavily diseased and ill throughout the winter months, they even seem proud of spreading phlegm and mucus carried viral material around, with great sneezes in the supermarket aisles, phlegm spat on the floor, sans hankerchief. The better half rarely get more than a mild cold (Nb. Was fascinating during Covid, that the town actually achieved a star rating once, for one of the most heavily infected towns in Britain - but no one who cycled, walks, swims, gyms, rides (Nb. Horses) or shoots, seemed to have caught it, even if outside for 10 Hr's a day, mid winter.

Even when like myself, one is living in a social housing property (Nb. A pleasant, architect designed, stone built property, 200' away from the cobbled market square ), having to rely on buses for transport and welfare for living, one doesn't become diseased, with winter contaminations. Remarkable how keeping ones distance, covering nose & mouth when unavoidably close to virus infected people, ensuring shopping is done at empty times and infrequently as possible, ensuring that Morrisons is avoided (Nb. Aldi & Lidl are very much Audi, Bmw, Volvo, and cyclists terrain, I don't think Morrisons insists on 40 fags a day, but it does reek of fag smoke, plumes of smoke arising from shoppers outside the doors. And incessant washing of hands of hands with soaps etc, both in and out of home, keeps one, @ 52yr, virus free.

Had to keep the distance from an 83yr old Mother last week, she'd reported having caught cold, from two grand children

[Galactic]

+1 for a snood, neck tube etc. Alternatively, those blue 'paper' face masks that were around a lot during the lockdowns are good for cutting the chill off the air before it enters your mouth/nose without restricting your breathing too much at all. A FFP2 will work as well, but is less comfortable and reduces airflow more (your mileage may vary).

[craigr12]

Thanks for all that, folks. I think I'll try and extra snood over my face and try to watch my hygiene. I'm a teacher, so I'm surrounded by germ-machines five days a week.

[Nearholmer]

^^^

You should have said!

How any teacher, especially at primary school, survives without a permanent cold, I don’t know. Maybe the ones who are out on the sports field all day.

I wear the “ninja” thin balaclava under my helmet, sometimes pulled up over my mouth, when it’s perishing.

[Carlton green]

Thanks for all that, folks. I think I'll try and extra snood over my face and try to watch my hygiene. I'm a teacher, so I'm surrounded by germ-machines five days a week.

I managed to loose my snood but after a bit of searching on eBay bought another for less than £3 inc delivery - that’s a good price for a useful ‘tool’, but still expensive for what they are. (Beechfield 3 in 1 Face Cover Morf * Snood Scarf * Breathable Mask)

As a teacher you’re surrounded by bugs and those that I know in that profession usually fall ill at the end of term and maybe half term too. It might be stating the obvious but I think that moderate exercise, keeping warn enough, eating sensibly, and thoughtful self care are heavy influencers towards good health - women seem to be better than men at all of those … and typically they live longer than men too. Stress, as might well be found in teaching (depends on the school and the children, etc), is probably not so good for health.

Talking amongst my friends Long Covid still catches some folk out, those that seem to suffer the most are the ones whose health was already not so good. My Mrs and I seem to have avoided a lot of the bugs that are going around and when we didn’t (avoid all of) then we bounced back fairly quickly, we both take quite a bit of exercise. Of course exercise comes in various different forms; I love to and prefer to cycle but (because my dog needs exercise too) the greater part of of my exercise time is used walking - it’s a good and I think under appreciated form of exercise.

[Geoffroid]

It is worth bearing in mind that Covid can hang around in your body for a good while, and exercise can bring on some symptoms. If this happens it is best to rest until symptoms have gone, and then try again with exercise for up to one hour. Then two or three days off. If no reaction then repeat, and be patient. After much trial and error I succeeded with this approach last year, and then read an interview with a pro cycling coach who had used the same method for his athletes.

[The Path Racer]

I've now reached mid 60's but I only started cycling some 2.5 years ago. I was a good 12 Kg's overweight but a combination of a varied, largely plant based diet (some meat) and the cycling had me losing 10 Kg's. I live in a rather hilly area, there was a huge improvement in my fitness. Well over a year into my cycling career I realised that I had avoided any sniffles, colds, flu, sore throats - absolutely nothing. There was only one possible conclusion, cycling was going to see me live forever. Long story but then a 5 year old, a 7 and a 8 year old came to live in my house. I was struck with 4 illness in a row over a period of 5 months. 3 of them the usual cold like symptoms. Then I had benign prostate issues that required the op. Unfortunately I can't blame the last one on the little blighters but I'm definitely blaming the first 3 on them.

[plancashire]

When I was working I rode on trams and trains then did the last six or so km to the office on my Brompton. Despite the exposure to winter air on the bike and winter germs in the carriages, I was almost never ill. Some cycling colleagues had similar experiences. As Nearholmer wrote, some medics seem to think this is a real effect.

My sinuses sometimes played up. A warm hat helped a lot. A fleece face guard was a mixed success. What really helped was clearing the sinuses by repeated steaming over a "facial sauna" device. Some of my sinus blockages were caused indirectly by a dodgy tooth, which silently died. After my dentist's efforts to save it failed and he extracted it my sinuses became much better. Another cause can be allergic rhinitis, which can be worse in winter and leads to the nasal passages constricting. My doctor recommended hayfever nose spray.

Riding more slowly in winter reduces the cold air blast in the face. I could manage down to minus ten.

[Bmblbzzz]

+2 for the snood/neck tube/buff.

[Vorpal]

Pollution is worse in winter, and this is likely to affect people walking and cycling.

Denser cold air is more likely to trap exhaust particles, people still use wood & oil burners for winter heating.

The air is also drier which may exacerbate any problems caused by pollution.

A buff may help. If it doesn't you can try a pollution mask made for cyclists and see if that helps.