Multisport: Training with the Sniffles?

By Kristen Dieffenbach, Ph.D.

Remember when you were 10 and you would wake up with a scratchy throat, some gunky stuff in the corner of your eyes, and not feeling quite right? You mom would come in, lay her cool hand across your forehead and along your cheek, gaze at you a moment, and then declare you either well enough for school or she would decree bed rest for the day? Through your excitement about lounging around watching The Price is Right and drinking ginger ale while your friends suffer through Ms. Mahr's math class, you would sadly realize that this proclamation also meant no after school play and most certainly no baseball practice! Mom may have been a little overly careful sometimes, but she always seemed to know just want to do to get you out playing again as soon as possible.

These days, when you wake up feeling stuffy and off your game, it is up to you to figure out what to do and what not to do. Unfortunately, going to work is usually a no-brainer no matter how you are feeling. If it is a workday, there is work to be done, so off you go (or drag depending on how badly you are feeling.) However, deciding whether or not to workout while sick can be much more difficult without Mom's guidance. Your desire to go out and play is as strong as it was years ago, but now you have that nagging grown up voice babbling on about staying healthy and being responsible. You don't want to wimp out of a workout, yet you also don't want to make it worse. What to do, what to do?!?

In certain circumstances, seeking a qualified medical opinion is the best idea. For example, if any of the following symptoms occur and last longer than 24-48 hours, consult a medical professional.
· If the gross stuff in the tissue after you sneeze or cough is a funky greenish color, this may indicate an infection in need of antibiotics.
· If you cough up blood or have a persistent or painful cough (particularly the racking kind that knocks you off your bike).
· If your fever that has lasted more than a day or wouldn't break.
· Involuntary loss of fluid and/or ingested food - yeah, I mean diarrhea or vomiting.

Figuring out what to do about working out when you have these kinds of symptoms isn't usually much of a concern, as you typically don't feel like remaining vertical anyways. However, a trip to the family doctor for the sniffles or just a general icky feeling will often leave you still wondering what to do about training, especially if he or she is not familiar with working with athletes, and offers only the general, "rest, drink lots of water, don't workout until you are feeling better" line of advice.

So if you aren't on your deathbed, how exactly do you decide what to do? The general rule of thumb for working out when you don't feel 100%, is based on the neck rule. In general, if your symptoms are below the neck or are full body in nature, it is a good idea to take the day off. This includes things like all over body aches, chills, or a low-grade fever. Mom would want you in bed, sipping water, and doing nothing - great advice. You body needs all of the resources and energies it has to help you get healthy again. Trying to work out with these kinds of symptoms will only compromise how quickly you return to full strength and can even lead to the development of more severe symptoms.

On the other hand, if your symptoms are above the neck (e.g, stuffy nose, sore throat, itchy eyes) then it is ok to train. Of course there is a one small catch, scale back your workout intensity by toning down or skipping planned intervals, going at a mellower pace, and/or shortening the workout. Avoid going anaerobic. Working out will stimulate your systems and can help your body clear out or defeat whatever is making you feel unwell. Maintaining a low to moderate intensity during these efforts will help ensure that you don't overtax yourself and things worse.

If you are still unsure about what to do, try going out for 10-15 minutes. If at the end of this time you feel worse, pack it in. If you feel the same or better, continue through the rest of your workout. Your body will generally tell you what it is willing and capable of doing, if you honestly listen.

One final though on working out when you are under the weather - be aware of the impact different medications can have on your body. Many over the counter cold medications have side effects that can make you jittery, decrease your appetite, make your heart race, or make you groggy and sleepy. All of these side effects will impact training efforts. If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic or other medication be sure to ask about possible side effects that may interfere with training as well. Some prescription medications increase your susceptibility to the sun, while others can make you tired, etc. The more information you have, the better you will be able to adjust your training accordingly.

Now that the 'train or not to train' decision rests squarely on your shoulders using a little common sense combined with the 'neck rule' will help you make the right decisions. And if you still can't figure out what to do, try calling Mom.

Kristen Dieffenback, Ph D., is a Certified coach and Sport Psychologist for Carmichael Training Systems (CTS). To learn more about CTS, visit their web site at www.trainright.com

Copyright 2004 Carmichael Training Systems, Inc.