A cold is a disease that manifests itself in the following symptoms:

• Runny nose and watery eyes.
• Sore throat.
• Cough.
• High body temperature.
• Weakness and weakness.
• Muscle and joint aches.

Many people do not know this, but all colds are caused by viruses! Therefore, in medicine, colds are designated by the term ARVI - an acute respiratory viral disease.

Can I exercise for colds?

A recent study sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine found that exercising at a moderate pace for mild cold symptoms is not harmful to health. Whereas strength training (bodybuilding or powerlifting) worsened recovery rates. It is generally accepted that sports can reduce the risk of colds, but until now it has not been clearly known how sports and colds go together. In any case, most doctors agreed that playing sports can worsen the course of a cold, even with good health and mild symptoms.

As a rule, a cold befalls each person on average 2-5 times a year, and in duration it can reach 1-2 and even three weeks until complete recovery. This shows that even mild colds can seriously interfere with progress in bodybuilding and other sports.

The study, led by Professor and MD Thomas G. Weidner of the American University of Indiana, tested about 50 volunteers, a list of which were student volunteers, they were injected with contaminated serum and observed for 10 consecutive days. Half of them did not fulfill physical exercise throughout the illness, others continued to actively train.

Both groups of subjects were subjected to daily stress: running and exercising on simulators. At the end of the study, the researchers found that both groups had the same recovery rates, from which it can be concluded that moderate exercise does not affect the recovery process, the severity of symptoms or the development of complications. It is important to note that subjects who were exposed to high-intensity workouts(which actually equated to regular bodybuilding training) had poorer recovery rates.

Research criticism

This study used a mild strain of the common cold virus that almost never causes health complications. However, in ordinary life, a person is infected with a wide variety of viruses that can infect lung tissue, bronchi and, most importantly, cardiovascular system and muscles.

For example, sometimes the flu is almost indistinguishable from mild SARS. If you go in for sports while you are sick with the flu, even if you feel good and there are almost no symptoms of a cold, then you run the risk of serious heart complications, since the flu virus causes inflammation of the myocardium. Exercise leads to myocardial overload, and irreversible complications may develop!

Any cold disease (even in a mild form) leads to suppression of anabolic processes in the muscles and activates the secretion of the catabolic hormone cortisol, which destroys muscles. Physical activity aggravates catabolic processes, and in the presence of slowed down anabolism, you will not get a positive effect from strength training On the contrary, training will destroy your muscles.

Output

Obviously, colds and sports are not compatible. You will not receive positive results from training in the height of the disease. Avoid exercising if you have a cold until all symptoms of the illness are gone and you start to feel good. If the disease is difficult, then it is necessary to refrain from training for 3-4 additional days, until complete recovery, in order to avoid complications and muscle destruction.

How is a cold treated?
Measures aimed at the cause and pathogenesis of the disease:

• 
  Drink plenty of fluids - up to 3 liters per day. Drinking plenty of fluids has been shown to accelerate recovery.
• Eat raw onions and garlic. These plants contain phytoncides that destroy disease-causing elements.
• Take vitamin C at a dose of 1000 - 2000 mg per day.
• Take complex vitamins.
• For the destruction of almost all respiratory viruses, the drug Cycloferon is highly effective (it has a high cost). The popular drug Arbidol (moderate cost) is significantly less effective. The drug Anaferon - as studies have shown, is generally ineffective. It is advisable to use these drugs only from the first day of the disease.
• Gargle with Rotokan (low cost) - chamomile, calendula and yarrow extract. The tincture clears mucous membranes and suppresses inflammation.
• If cough is severe, take expectorants - ACC or Ambrobene (ambroxol).
• Physical activity and sports for colds (especially in the active phase of the disease) are not desirable.

Measures aimed at eliminating symptoms (do not speed up recovery):

• 
  Antipyretics (TheraFlu complex remedy is especially good for itself. It has recommended itself as a symptomatic remedy).
• Lozenges for suppressing cough and pain relief (Travisil, Strepsils, etc.).
• If cough is expressed, use Glycodin or Tussin + syrups.
• Sprays to eliminate the feeling of sore throat and irritation in the nose - Cameton.

How to prevent the development of colds and strengthen the immune system?

• 
  Take the vitamin and mineral complex 2-4 times a year.
• Avoid overwork.
• Take glutamine.
• Take extra servings of vitamin C during an epidemic.
• Take echinacea extract (herbal immunomodulator) during an epidemic.
• Practice hardening.

You can go in for sports for colds, runny nose and other diseases, but only according to a lightweight program. Since the body fights against pathogens, and additional load on muscular system worsens the situation. If you go to the gym with a cold, exercise hard and do fitness, the positive effect on the healing process decreases. Therefore, it is not recommended to exercise and do vigorous exercise when you are sick until the cold is completely gone.

With a cold, there is an increase in the production of the hormone cortisol, due to the destructive effect on muscle tissue. Cortisol is a hormone that is produced in large quantities for colds, is characterized by the destruction of proteins and muscle fibers... Cortisol is produced in large quantities when exposed to the following factors:

• overwork (after training);
• fear;
• stress;
• starvation;
• colds, tonsillitis and other diseases.

But this hormone also performs a useful function of attracting nutrients. When you are sick, the body needs building materials, which are amino acids and glycogen. The hormone is involved in the breakdown of proteins into amino acids, and glucose into glycogen. In this case, the body is stocked with building materials required for its recovery after ARVI.

Going in for sports if you have a cold is possible, but not worth it, there is no positive dynamics in this. Sport does not improve the condition. In addition, the action of the hormone cortisol is not beneficial during physical activity, but only contributes to the destruction muscle mass... Therefore, training, going to the gym to exercise is not worth it.

Above the Neck Rule

Among avid athletes, there is a rule called "above the neck". The peculiarity of this rule is that you can go in for sports to train in a rocking chair for a cold if the symptoms of the disease appear above the neck. That is, if you have a headache, teeth, throat, stuffy nose or inflamed tonsils, you can do it. The only unknown is the name of the founder of this rule, which will inevitably lead to various complications if it is observed.

To understand why it is not recommended to adhere to the “above the neck” rule and train for colds, consider what the lymphatic system is. So, the lymphatic system is presented in the form of lymph nodes and other small vessels. These vessels are filled with lymphatic fluid, which takes an active part in the elimination of toxins and harmful substances. In a normal state, when a person is healthy and nothing hurts, the lymph nodes are invisible, but if viruses attack him, then these nodes increase in size.

Enlarged lymph nodes indicate the predominance of pathological processes. They increase, creating a kind of barrier for viruses so that they do not spread to other organs and systems, this indicates that there is an active fight between leukocytes and microbes.

If, with a cold, with symptoms such as nasal congestion, cough, headache, play sports, exercise and exercise, then the infection will spread throughout the body. This is due to the fact that the lymph nodes will not be able to create a barrier during exercise, so the virus will spread throughout all organs and systems. It is recommended that you undergo a course of treatment for a week and lie down at home, then, when the cold subsides, start hardening your muscles.

Sports at temperature

Colds, tonsillitis are often manifested with the development of high body temperature. Moreover, the temperature value depends on the complication of the disease, but often the thermometer mark reaches 38.5-39 degrees. In this case, people who seek to train and play sports simply cannot do this. Why? The reason is that with the development of such a temperature, there is complete impotence and weakening, a sore throat, chills. In addition, the person is shivering, and if the temperature is not brought down, it can be fatal. What to do in situations if the temperature is maintained at 37 - 37.2 degrees, and the whole body aches and hurts?
The situation suggests that the fight against infection is being carried out. A temperature of 37 - 37.2 degrees and a sore throat is even worse than 38 or 39, since this temperature cannot be knocked down by anything. It is also forbidden to go in for sports for patients with a temperature of 37.2 degrees or with a runny nose.

Often a temperature of 37 degrees is caused by the following diseases:

• hepatitis;
• hormonal imbalance;
• asthma;
• tuberculosis;
• angina.

Symptoms that cause the development of 37-degree body temperature arise under the influence of various serious diseases. Therefore, instead of playing sports at a body temperature of 37 degrees, and even with a runny nose, you should rush to the hospital: treat your throat, SARS and other colds.

How to recover quickly?

If, in spite of everything, with a cold you rushed to go to the gym for training, then it is important to know that for a speedy recovery it is necessary to reduce the load by half. Reduce training time to 40 minutes. Drink plenty of water in small sips during exercise. The water should not be cold, so as not to provoke complications.

If you still want to play sports, then it is important to give preference to the following types of exercises:

• running on the track;
• step aerobics;
• meditation;
• stretching;
• fitness classes.

Are prohibited sports activities requiring strong physical exertion, deadlift, bench press and squats. You cannot show your maximum for a cold, so it is better to leave these loads until complete recovery. If you feel a deterioration in health while doing fitness and performing other exercises, then you should stop the exhaustion of the body and consult a doctor.

Recovery

After the cold subsides, the throat stops hurting and the doctor confirms your recovery, you can go to the gym and start exercising. Before doing physical activities, you should find out some points:

• You should not do heavy exercises right after a cold, for example, run 20 km or bench press 100 kg.
• You need to start with lightweight exercises, because the weakening has not yet passed, and the body will be in a similar state for about 7-10 days.
• To accelerate the strengthening of the body, it is necessary to avoid physical exercise, drink vitamins, and strengthen the immune system. V otherwise, if you try to exercise and exercise 100% immediately after recovery, it will negatively affect your health.
• After 1-2 weeks, you can return to the previous types of loads and go to the gym. It is recommended to do this gradually so as not to disrupt the recovery process.

If it is common for a person to exercise regularly physical training, then he is prone to rare manifestations of diseases or diseases that are mild. Sport strengthens not only the muscular and cardiovascular system, but also the immunity and the musculoskeletal system. Regular physical exercise help to increase the resistance of the immune system to various ailments.

If you love to run, jogging in the morning for 30 minutes can increase your chances of not getting a cold. Even if you get sick, then with the right approach treatment, the cold will pass in a mild form and will not provoke complications. To say “no” to a cold forever, you must not only regularly exercise and run, but also temper yourself, maintain proper nutrition, and give up bad habits.

In rare cases, sports can act as the cause of the development of a cold. But such cases are isolated and are explained by the fact that a person simply overloads the body to the fullest, not giving it rest. In this case, immunity decreases and the body reacts to any negative factors.

Now you know why you shouldn't go in for sports when you have a cold. And if your health is dear to you, then it is better to start with drug treatment diseases, and then start training.

Surely many adults remember how, while still schoolchildren, they received exemption from physical education after ARVI. Formerly doctors and the teachers explained this by the fact that the child must recover from the illness, gain strength and strengthen the immune system, before starting to play sports again. Currently, the situation has changed somewhat, and the attitude of doctors to this problem has also changed. Today, there are several different opinions as to whether a child should give up exercise if he recently had a cold. Further, the existing opinions on this topic will be considered, and a detailed answer will be given to the question of whether it is generally possible for a person to play sports with a cold.

Is it possible to do physical education at school if the child has had ARVI?

Again, each doctor may have a different point of view on this issue, so you must weigh the pros and cons yourself, and then make the final decision. Here are 2 main points of view as an example:

1. Some experts believe that after an acute respiratory infection, it is better for a child to refrain from any physical education. They argue that the disease in this case becomes much more complicated, the body temperature rises, and the body weakens rapidly.
2. Others, on the other hand, believe that sports are extremely important for all children who have had a cold. Their argumentation is based on the fact that it is sport that helps to strengthen the child's immunity and protect him from recurrent illness.

What conclusion can be drawn for oneself, given both of these opinions? Firstly, that sport is really useful and moderate training will help restore health and protect the body from the severe consequences of ARVI. Secondly, you cannot overwork your body and deprive it of all the forces that are needed to fight the remaining particles of the infection.

Everything should be in moderation, so you should choose the specialist who will take care of your child, based on his current condition. Do not rush to draw your own conclusions, prohibit the child from attending physical education, or, conversely, send him to training.

Be sure to pay attention to his condition, well-being, desire to attend classes, take into account all the factors that can affect his health in one way or another.

Doctors evaluate general state a child, after which a decision is made as to whether he can attend physical education classes after an illness

Physical education after illness

It is necessary to return to physical education after ARVI gradually. This means that the child can come to classes on the very first day after the illness, but it is not recommended for him to do the following exercises:

• running for a while;
• jumping rope;
• delivery of standards;
• play games such as football, volleyball, tennis, etc .;
• lift dumbbells, barbell.

In other words, the child should not do something that takes a lot of his strength. If the physical education teacher does not know about the child's illness, he or his parents should talk to the teacher so that he does not allow unpleasant situation when a student feels unwell during or after a lesson.

At the same time, together with other students, you can do exercises in the lesson, squat, perform circular movements with your hands, head, stretch your legs, etc. All this is not only possible, but also must be done in order to gradually restore the body, which has suffered from the negative effects of pathogenic bacteria.

In the first 1-2 weeks after the illness, the child should do in physical education what he can and wants to do, without forcing him to take too much action.

Heavy loads and delivery of all kinds of standards in the first days after ARVI are not welcome

Sports after ARVI

If we figured out physical education at school, then the question of whether sports are allowed after ARVI is still open. Sports include various football sections, fight, boxing, gym, that is, those kinds of sports where heavy loads are really required. If so, when can you start training? If allowed, but not completely, what exercises should be done in the first days after the illness?

It's important to know! It is necessary to start serious sports gradually, gradually increasing the load, starting with the most elementary and small exercises.

Sports are unambiguously beneficial, but acute respiratory infections take away from human body almost all forces, as a result of which the body is weakened after their action. Excessive loads after an illness can lead to undesirable consequences:

• headache;
• overwork;
• recurrent ARVI disease after a few days;
• uncontrolled stress;
• complete depletion of the body.

However, all this can be avoided by paying attention to the following points at the first workouts after an illness:

• 1. Light loads, good warm-up. It is necessary to warm up the ligaments, make the blood circulate through all the muscles.
  2. Do not focus on any one muscle group, train your entire body, whether you play football or are in the gym.
  3. Be sure to go through 2-3 recovery sessions, and only then proceed to full training if you feel completely prepared for them.

You can go in for sports professionally after ARVI, but you should increase the load gradually

Cold workouts

Many people involved in sports are also concerned about the question of whether it is possible to exercise with a cold without fever. This is a really interesting question, because if there is no fever and serious complications, why skip important workouts? However, here, too, one should not rush to conclusions.

In fact, body temperature is not the only indicator of a cold. As a rule, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, dizziness and many other symptoms are added to the temperature. Thus, if you do not have a high fever with a cold, this does not mean that everything is in order with your health. Even a small runny nose can lead to serious consequences in the form of sinusitis. Therefore, many experts agree that from intense training should be discarded for colds.

In addition, training for colds without fever is prohibited if a person is sick with the flu. This type of ARVI is characterized by serious consequences, it is much more difficult than the common cold. Therefore, body temperature is not always the main indicator of illness, and it is better to give up sports.

If you can't miss very much important training, be sure to consult your doctor. Perhaps he will assign you special medications that will help ease the course of the disease.

It is better to postpone training directly during a cold until you recover.

Therapeutic gymnastics with and after ARVI

But generally speaking, sports are very useful for a person who is still sick or has already had an acute respiratory viral disease. Even doctors prescribe a special remedial gymnastics for those who suffer from ARVI. First, exercise therapy for those who are currently sick with ARVI:

• A facial massage is recommended.
• Take a contrast shower once a day.
• Rub the body with a dry towel.
• Walking calmly for 10-15 minutes.
• Squats, exercises in which the arms and legs are moved.
• Don't forget to rest between exercises.

There are also special recommendations for those people who have already had ARVI. Doctors advise avoiding strenuous physical activity, but a little exercise will come in handy. You can get up early in the morning, do squats, do circular movements head, hands. Next, you should organize yourself a walk for 30 minutes on fresh air... Such walks do not have to be done in the morning, you can also evening time... It is allowed to practice light jogging with frequent breaks.

You must protect your body after illness. To do this, you need not only to give up physical education or sports, but to faithfully accelerate and restore your body. These concepts can include and correct diet nutrition, and healthy image life, lack of alcohol, minimum mental and physical stress.

All this will allow you to gain strength and energy, as well as quickly return your ideal sports uniform if you are an athlete. Remember that haste in this matter is unacceptable, because any rash actions will lead to the fact that you will never be able to play sports again. Agree that it’s better to wait a bit than to blame yourself for the wrong decision.

Many athletes who have caught a cold are interested in the question of whether it is possible to continue training in such a painful state, how best to go in for sports so that physical activity does not have a negative effect on immunity and does not cause complications.

Every person two to three times a year suffers from acute respiratory diseases, flu and colds. The healing process takes about a week, and sometimes even ten days. If you add up this time, you get about a month for a year. This is a long enough period that it makes each presenter active image a person's life to think about whether it is possible to continue training with a cold.

Given the relevance of this problem, many studies have been carried out on how sport affects the condition of a person with a cold. They confirmed that physical activity is acceptable for mild colds. This does not mean that such training will be effective. Unfortunately, its productivity is declining.

Severe infection or just plain malaise

Research shows that there is no worsening of symptoms or an effect on the length of the recovery period from physical activity only with the "upper cold". This infection only manifests itself as unpleasant mi above the neck.

A slight cold, when a sore throat is sore, nasal congestion is present, eyes are watery, but there is no aches and muscle pain, and also there is no increase in body temperature, allows you to go in for sports. The main thing is to take into account certain requirements that exist in this case.

How should you exercise for a cold?

You can not sweat and allow sudden hypothermia. Many Sport halls equipped with air cooling systems that work in winter. Cold streams, if caught after or during exercise, can greatly aggravate existing symptoms.

The training should be light, not going beyond the heart rate zone with 120-130 beats per minute. This keeps you from sweating. The duration of the lesson is also recommended to be minimized. You cannot go beyond 40-45 minutes.

Overtraining or colds?

Overtraining is a dangerous enough condition in which the level rises sharply. This substance, which is called the stress hormone, is important for energy resources, immunity, and carbohydrate metabolism.

An increase in cortisol lowers immunity, which lowers the body's defenses against infections, increases the recovery period of muscle tissue and areas of inflammation. The state in which a person arrives with chronically high cortisol resembles a mild cold in symptoms.

The negative effects of exercise

If high cortisol is mistaken for a mild cold, continuing to physical, the person only harms his health. The stress hormone continues to rise from exercise. The result is a sharp decrease in the protective functions of the body and the development of an already real catarrhal disease.

Cortisol rises even when a person has a light cold. And if training in this state does not worsen health, one way or another it will not bring practically any result. The increase in cortisol does not allow achieving both muscle mass gain and strength indicators.

What are the symptoms of the flu?

Quite often, flu and SARS in the early stages can easily be mistaken for an ordinary mild cold. The exact diagnosis becomes clear about the third day. If the body temperature rises, there is pain in muscle groups, there is a chill, then this is definitely the flu.

In such a state, you cannot go to training. This will double whammy on the immune system, which will have to fight both infection and stress from cardio, or strength training... The only thing that playing sports will bring with the flu is the aggravation of the disease.

A mild cold, studies show, is not an obstacle to exercise. In the conclusions of such studies, nothing is said about the fact that a person with a cold has a drop in strength indicators or the effectiveness of training.

It is definitely forbidden to play sports with flu and severe colds. It is possible to recognize the symptoms of these diseases with accuracy only on the second or third day. And if active training is not stopped these days, then the condition will deteriorate sharply, complications may arise.

Conclusion

It is safe to continue playing sports only if you are fully confident that the cause of the illness is not the flu, but a mild infection. The workout should be short with a heart rate of 120 to 130 beats per minute to avoid sweating.

Video review

Just a sore throat, do you immediately take sick leave and give up training? Or vice versa - go to the gym even with a temperature? What approach is the most correct and safe for health - we figure it out together with the doctors.

In the season of colds, athletes always face the same question: is it worth going to train if you feel that you have begun to fall ill - are complications possible? There have been several studies on this. One of them is at Ball State University (Indiana, USA). 50 student volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: one goes in for sports, the other does not. All participants were artificially infected with a cold - the doctors monitored their condition throughout the experiment. The "sports" group trained every day for 40 minutes - b e gom, cycling or on the steppe - at 70% of their maximum capabilities (doctors monitored their pulse). At the end of the study and after analyzing all the data, it turned out that there was no significant difference in the severity and duration of symptoms accompanying the disease between the two groups. That is, the experiment showed that moderate exercise does not increase the symptoms of a cold or undermine immune system... But at the same time, high-intensity activities that include lifting weights, or aerobic exercise have a negative effect on immunity during a cold or any other respiratory infection. Therefore, here it is necessary to feel the edge and be aware that one is superfluous strength exercise can add a few agonizing days to your sick leave. Try to correctly build your workout and not overload your body if you do decide to go to the gym.

Dmitry Troshin

general practitioner at EMC

With a mild form of a cold, especially without a fever, you can go in for sports. But we must not forget: the main route of transmission of infection is airborne, so it will be possible to infect other people in the gym. In addition, when we are sick with ARVI, we are more likely to get some kind of "secondary" infection - this can aggravate the symptoms. Therefore, doctors usually do not recommend visiting crowded places during the period of illness. If there is a cough, shortness of breath, etc., it will be simply difficult to play sports.

Olga Malinovskaya

Medical Director of KDL, Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics

I would not recommend training for any alarming symptoms, it is especially important to spare yourself at the onset of the disease. A runny nose does not allow breathing through the nose, and frequent deep breathing through the mouth dries out the mucous membrane and additionally damages the already sore nasopharynx. In no case should you engage in active sports against the background of coughing and fever. The lack of rest during illness increases the chance of complications. Although if you feel well after a recent cold, but nasal congestion remains without discharge, in this case, a light to moderate exercise, leading to the release of adrenaline, helps to cope with nasal congestion: adrenaline is a natural remedy that affects the tone of the vessels of the nasal mucosa.

With acute symptoms of the disease, no exercise is helpful. Sometimes it happens that a person plans to go to workout, but experiences atypical pain and discomfort in the muscles of the back and legs. This may be the first sign of a disease associated with symptoms of intoxication. And it is quite possible that an incomprehensible malaise in the evening can easily turn into a fever in the morning and headache... If you suddenly inexorably want to lie on the couch against the background of indisposition, it is better to feel sorry for yourself, even if life is subject to an iron will and military self-discipline.

David Niemann, head of the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University (which, incidentally, ran 58 regular and ultra marathons), advises sticking to the "neck rule." If the symptoms of a cold are located below the neck - pain in the body, severe cough - you should forget about training. If higher - a runny nose, sneezing, - you can go in for sports. But in any case, you always need to listen to your body.

Dmitry Solovyov

Challenger medical expert

In general, it is now generally accepted that there is no clear, common for all period for which it is necessary to interrupt physical education after a cold. For each person, for each cold, he is different. Intense physical activity weakens the immune system. Therefore, in the midst of an illness, when the immune system already has to work actively, it is better not to expose it to unnecessary tests. At this point, it is worth taking a break from playing sports and simply lying down.

When to get back to training

Dmitry Troshin

general practitioner at EMC

It is worth returning to training after recovery. Weakness is a frequent companion of any colds, so it can be simply difficult for a person to exercise in the previous regime immediately after he is cured. I usually recommend gradually introducing the load and monitoring your condition, gradually increasing it. But there are always some peculiarities. For example, infectious mononucleosis - sports restrictions range from four to eight weeks (depending on the type and injury of the sport) due to the risk of rupture of the spleen. Therefore, it is better to discuss the question of returning to training with your doctor. It's one thing when a person gets sick with ARVI (only a runny nose), another - pneumonia; there will always be different dates.