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Over training? What should I do?
I had problems last year with my running training where I kept coming down with chest infections and this developed into mild exercise induced asthma.It took a lot of breaks in training and stopping and starting to get over this(6 months) and now it all seems to be starting again.The thing is I have started to suspect this is the result of over training as it always seems to hit me around big events but I think I probably train too hard anyway.It happened last year but after much hindrance to my training I started this year strong and even managed to get ranked 44th in Wales at Half Marathon, which was a real bonus for me after I did a sub 80 minute race.
The thing is ive started to get a lull in performance and recurrent chest infections as my main symptoms again at the same time I did last year.I have decided after much internet research but no definitive answers to play it safe, and take three weeks off then to start rebuilding sensibly at a lower rate to start, and always at a more sensible intensity.
Is this the right thing to do? I cant see what else this could be, I do train too hard so its the only catalyst I can find for my symptoms.Doctors don't seem to understand as they probably don't have much experience of it.
Any advice would be very gratefully received.
The thing is ive started to get a lull in performance and recurrent chest infections as my main symptoms again at the same time I did last year.I have decided after much internet research but no definitive answers to play it safe, and take three weeks off then to start rebuilding sensibly at a lower rate to start, and always at a more sensible intensity.
Is this the right thing to do? I cant see what else this could be, I do train too hard so its the only catalyst I can find for my symptoms.Doctors don't seem to understand as they probably don't have much experience of it.
Any advice would be very gratefully received.
Do this anulom vilom pranayam, and you will feel the improvement in lungs in days.Avoid cold drinks, and drink warm water.After a few months you will not need the pump.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril
then – close left nostril with two middle fingers and breath-out through right nostril
then -keeping the left nostril closed deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed. Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.
While doing anulom vilom, keep your eyes closed, concentrate on the third eye (point in between the eyebrows).
Continue this anulom vilom everyday.
Build up your timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume after one minute.
Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril
then – close left nostril with two middle fingers and breath-out through right nostril
then -keeping the left nostril closed deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed. Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.
While doing anulom vilom, keep your eyes closed, concentrate on the third eye (point in between the eyebrows).
Continue this anulom vilom everyday.
Thank-you very much for all of your insight and comments they are much appreciated and I will take them on board.
Im very pleased to say that after 16 days of rest I feel much better and very interestingly there has been a significant increase in my lung capacity.I used to average around 550 to 600 in the evenings and to my delight I had a reading of 700 today which is the highest ive ever recorded.The best before was 650 using an asthma pump!
This makes me wonder if perhaps not giving my lungs time to heal and training whilst an infection was acting upon my lungs caused a sustained irritation which caused the tightening of the airways, hence the asthma and mucus on the lungs.
Perhaps it was only this or maybe a combination of this and over training which lowered my performance.
Im not going to count my chickens yet though, im going to train lightly for the next week and then carefully after that.I am going to do what I can to avoid a relapse and use this as a good learning experience. Hopefully I can now go on to achieve my dream of qualifying for London Marathon championship entry and one day winning a half marathon.
Im very pleased to say that after 16 days of rest I feel much better and very interestingly there has been a significant increase in my lung capacity.I used to average around 550 to 600 in the evenings and to my delight I had a reading of 700 today which is the highest ive ever recorded.The best before was 650 using an asthma pump!
This makes me wonder if perhaps not giving my lungs time to heal and training whilst an infection was acting upon my lungs caused a sustained irritation which caused the tightening of the airways, hence the asthma and mucus on the lungs.
Perhaps it was only this or maybe a combination of this and over training which lowered my performance.
Im not going to count my chickens yet though, im going to train lightly for the next week and then carefully after that.I am going to do what I can to avoid a relapse and use this as a good learning experience. Hopefully I can now go on to achieve my dream of qualifying for London Marathon championship entry and one day winning a half marathon.
The immune system degradation is often not due to the training itself, but due to chills. This has been the case with trainees in the United States Army who contracted lung infections after strenuous survival training..
Sleeping under a fan in hot weather can introduce a dandy lung infection. Being sweated up after a run and then ending up under a fan can also induce an lung infection.
If you read the old United States Cavalry manuals, an emphasis is placed on long walks with the animals after heavy exercise, and having them dried with a towel. The post-exercise period was as important as the exercise period in reducing lung infections.
The etiology of such infections is controversial. In 1795 the French discovered that livestock whose feet were immersed in water at night would develop lung infections. It seems there are temperature sensors above the ankles and when they are activated, the immune response is degraded.
I would suspect it is not the training itself, but the post-exercise period that degrades the immune system. You pose very interesting questions.
There are lots of "warm-up" protocols, but not many "warm-down" protocols.
Sleeping under a fan in hot weather can introduce a dandy lung infection. Being sweated up after a run and then ending up under a fan can also induce an lung infection.
If you read the old United States Cavalry manuals, an emphasis is placed on long walks with the animals after heavy exercise, and having them dried with a towel. The post-exercise period was as important as the exercise period in reducing lung infections.
The etiology of such infections is controversial. In 1795 the French discovered that livestock whose feet were immersed in water at night would develop lung infections. It seems there are temperature sensors above the ankles and when they are activated, the immune response is degraded.
I would suspect it is not the training itself, but the post-exercise period that degrades the immune system. You pose very interesting questions.
There are lots of "warm-up" protocols, but not many "warm-down" protocols.
Thank you very much for your response.
The reason I believe that my problem is linked to over training is that it seems to be quite well documented from several different sources that this can weaken your immune system and then cause recurrent chest infections.I also have other related symptoms such as lethargy and loss of performance.As my situation seems to tie in with this I just wanted to know what the best course of action would be based on this diagnosis.
This also causes problems with the nervous system as the sympathetic side of it collapses which controls immediate stress the parasympathetic side takes over which usually only aids recovery.This causes a drop in resting heart rate unfortunately I never monitor this so I have nothing to compare mine against.This can sometimes give a false impression of improved fitness.
I wondered how much rest would typically be needed before a continuation of training in a runner doing approximately 50 miles a week. Naturally a better training schedule would have to be gradually implemented.
I have seen a few doctors when this problem has arisen but they have done little more than give me a blue inhaler.The infection always seems to be viral.
As this condition only tends to show in 10% to 20% of elite endurance athletes it is not something that most doctors would see every day, in fact I only just found out about it myself recently after much time searching the net.There is however no guarantee that this is right but it certainly seems to fit.
The reason I believe that my problem is linked to over training is that it seems to be quite well documented from several different sources that this can weaken your immune system and then cause recurrent chest infections.I also have other related symptoms such as lethargy and loss of performance.As my situation seems to tie in with this I just wanted to know what the best course of action would be based on this diagnosis.
This also causes problems with the nervous system as the sympathetic side of it collapses which controls immediate stress the parasympathetic side takes over which usually only aids recovery.This causes a drop in resting heart rate unfortunately I never monitor this so I have nothing to compare mine against.This can sometimes give a false impression of improved fitness.
I wondered how much rest would typically be needed before a continuation of training in a runner doing approximately 50 miles a week. Naturally a better training schedule would have to be gradually implemented.
I have seen a few doctors when this problem has arisen but they have done little more than give me a blue inhaler.The infection always seems to be viral.
As this condition only tends to show in 10% to 20% of elite endurance athletes it is not something that most doctors would see every day, in fact I only just found out about it myself recently after much time searching the net.There is however no guarantee that this is right but it certainly seems to fit.
Overtraining has nothing to do with recurrent chest infections. Nada.
Such training can, however, induce exercise-related asthmatic symptoms.
As you know lung infections can be viral or bacterial. Often it starts viral and ends up bacterial.
Sometimes there is an encapsulated sinus infection which ends up going down again and again into the lung.
GERDS or acid reflux must also be eliminated as the tissues become inflamed and subject to infection from the action of the acid on the cell structure.
Once established they are difficult to remove. Long-term bacterial infections become encapsulated in biofilms. A lung infection with tuburculosis, for example (mtb) never goes away. It only goes into remission.
Recurrent lung infections are initially due to a problem with the immune system and/or a bacteria that is not eradicated properly with an antibiotic. Either the antibiotic is the wrong one, not appropriate for the lung, or it has not been prescribed for a long enough period, and the strain becomes resistant to that antibiotic.
Rcent studies suggest that many asthmatics have encapsulated lung infections, that come and go, exacerbating breathing problems and asthma.
Use of prednisone or a steroid is controversial, although most physicians do so, and often simultaneously administer an antibiotic. The steroid depresses the immune system, which does not help to eradicate the bacteria. A train being pulled at each end by an engine going in different directions. Tripple therapy is ocasionally used, involving three different antibiotics, although most physicians are very reluctant to do so.
You cannot simply take a "sample" from mucus. A probe has to be introduced into the trachea after a medication has been administered to prevent gagging and down into the right mainstem broncus and into the alveoli while the infection is active, and yellow mucus is being produced, and then the bacteria cultured on a petri dish. This procedure is uncomfortable, but not painful, with insignificant mortality. Physicians in the United States are reluctant to do this, however it is the only way to positively identify the specific bacteria. This is the only way to deal with a recurrent bacterial infection.
Building up the immune system involves exposure to sunlight, vitamin D3 and at least 1000 mg of vitamin C a day.
Such training can, however, induce exercise-related asthmatic symptoms.
As you know lung infections can be viral or bacterial. Often it starts viral and ends up bacterial.
Sometimes there is an encapsulated sinus infection which ends up going down again and again into the lung.
GERDS or acid reflux must also be eliminated as the tissues become inflamed and subject to infection from the action of the acid on the cell structure.
Once established they are difficult to remove. Long-term bacterial infections become encapsulated in biofilms. A lung infection with tuburculosis, for example (mtb) never goes away. It only goes into remission.
Recurrent lung infections are initially due to a problem with the immune system and/or a bacteria that is not eradicated properly with an antibiotic. Either the antibiotic is the wrong one, not appropriate for the lung, or it has not been prescribed for a long enough period, and the strain becomes resistant to that antibiotic.
Rcent studies suggest that many asthmatics have encapsulated lung infections, that come and go, exacerbating breathing problems and asthma.
Use of prednisone or a steroid is controversial, although most physicians do so, and often simultaneously administer an antibiotic. The steroid depresses the immune system, which does not help to eradicate the bacteria. A train being pulled at each end by an engine going in different directions. Tripple therapy is ocasionally used, involving three different antibiotics, although most physicians are very reluctant to do so.
You cannot simply take a "sample" from mucus. A probe has to be introduced into the trachea after a medication has been administered to prevent gagging and down into the right mainstem broncus and into the alveoli while the infection is active, and yellow mucus is being produced, and then the bacteria cultured on a petri dish. This procedure is uncomfortable, but not painful, with insignificant mortality. Physicians in the United States are reluctant to do this, however it is the only way to positively identify the specific bacteria. This is the only way to deal with a recurrent bacterial infection.
Building up the immune system involves exposure to sunlight, vitamin D3 and at least 1000 mg of vitamin C a day.
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