Should I Train When I'm Feeling Sick?
Minor illness is an inevitability during every athletes’ journey. Knowing when to keep pushing and when to back off from training is valuable knowledge for getting the best out of your season. Today, I will outline the fundamentals of training that dictate the reasons behind backing off or pushing through during illness. Additionally, I will discuss best practices for when you feel a cold or flu coming on and how to handle them within the scope of endurance sports. To finish, I offer a humble gift; the Illness Action Plan, a list of protocols to keep you grounded during a bout of minor illness. I’m aware that I am writing this during a global pandemic. I’m not referring to Covid-19 when referring to ‘minor illnesses.’ All bets are off when it comes to the virus. Any athlete with Covid should not be stressing their body and should follow doctor’s advice.
Lets Lay This Out:
The Platform of Health
Before we dive into the dos and don’ts of training while under the weather, it is necessary to take a step back and get some perspective on your performance mission.
Athletic success is built on a platform of health. Without a solid platform, you will not thrive in sport or life. To create and maintain a solid platform, we train to develop mental and physical resilience while keeping up with our supporting habits of nutrition, hydration, and sleep.
But there is more to the puzzle:
Endurance training is a specific stress applied to the body, from which we seek positive adaptations that yield improved fitness, strength, resilience, etc.
The body will adapt positively (fitness, strength, resilience) or negatively (fatigue, immune suppression, injury) to training.
A well-structured and tailored endurance program should yield more positive than negative adaptations.
Training stress is not the only factor to consider. We’re all human, and the body isn’t good at differentiating between stressors, of which there are many, including emotional, financial, travel-related, work-related, and illness-related.
If we apply training stress while considering a standard level of external stressors, we should see positive adaptations. The correct training dosage is key. However, if the system is ‘artificially’ stressed, i.e., illness, that same dosage will no longer yield positive adaptations. It is a precarious balance. This does not mean we halt training at the first sign of sniffles. It is just to say that all stressors, illness especially, must be taken into account.
When Illness Hits
Feeling lethargic? Stuffy nose? Fever? Wondering if you should plow on with your training plan when feeling under the weather? Read on for my thoughts and general rules on how to train when sick.
If we're being realistic, it's safe to assume that there will be an episode or two of sickness to navigate throughout most seasons. It is a part of life, and the vital thing to embrace is that performance readiness comes from many weeks and months of layering consistent training. Missing a few days due to illness will not put you back to square one. We should also remember:
It takes at least five days of inactivity before the initial effects of detraining begin to occur.
Five days is an important buffer for situations like head colds. While colds can be a nuisance, this knowledge allows for some stress-relief knowing that we have wiggle room before our adaptations and fitness from previous hard work begin to dissolve.
A personal anecdote may help drive this point home. I recently had a cold at the same time as one of my athletes (I’m sure I gave it to him.). The athlete was able to sleep and rest and did no training for 48 hours. I had several commitments, a three-day work trip, and demands to continue my usual schedule. The athlete's cold had passed after 2 or 3 days, while I was still managing it 8 days later. I don't think this was a coincidence. Now, I am not training for anything specific, but I do know that the athlete's patience and commitment to rest trimmed the loss of valuable training time to a minimum. My approach would have left almost two weeks of compromised training value.
To Summarize:
Be patient.
Remember, you have a window of recovery before detraining occurs.
Being smart upfront will often yield a lesser impact in the long term.
Recognize that things often don’t go as planned. Adapt and adjust. A head cold is not a disaster.
Your Action Plan
What you need is a simple but informative plan to get you back in action. Here is our 8-step checklist to stave off the doom and gloom when you’re not feeling well.
If Above the Neckline - Keep Moving: If you have the classic cold symptoms without a fever or chest cough, you can keep moving, but avoid hard training. Under 60 minutes at a time in zone 2 or under is my recommendation.
If Below the Neckline - Complete Rest: Any symptoms of body aches, fever, chest cough, etc., then complete rest is the prescription. Typically, at least 72 hours is optimal before moving again and only if improved.
Sleep and Rest Accelerate Recuperation: The body likes to 'regress to the mean.’ Rest, sleep, and lower stress environments will support the recovery process. Embrace sleep and aim to get as much as possible.
Hydrate the Immune System: Plenty of fluids, including teas, soups, and water, are optimal supporters of cellular health and the immune system.
Cold Medicines Are Ok, But Not to Mask Logic: We have to get through the workday, and there is nothing wrong with taking over-the-counter supplements to help diminish the effects of the cold. Just don't let the diminished symptoms lead you to make inappropriate decisions on training.
Big Picture: Tim Reed won the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships following a nasty cold 10 days before the race. Credit to Tim that he didn't let the cold play into his headspace on race day. You shouldn't let it either. Forced rest can sometimes help eager athletes and their coaches. Remember that performance isn't built on hitting every single prescribed session. It is built on consistent training and arriving at race day healthy, fresh, and eager to embrace the day’s effort.
Re-entry to Training: Once you feel the symptoms diminish, you can begin to ramp back into training. The first day is purely about moving blood, so keep it short and low stress. The second day should be endurance-focused, with a normal duration of training. Do this with a willingness to back off if you are not feeling good. Finally, on the third day, you can resume regular training at typical intensity. If you feel worse following, add another low stress or endurance day into the ramp back before starting intervals.
Don't Let It Become a Problem: If a cold lingers longer than is expected or you begin getting colds frequently (more than two per year), it is worth reflecting on your training load and habits such as sleep, fueling, or external stress.
Building and maintaining a platform of health throughout the year is paramount to avoiding sickness and executing your goals successfully and consistently. However, no one is immune to illness. When you eventually catch that bug or get the flu, stay patient, nail the basics, and remain positive with the knowledge that this too shall pass.
Free Download: Purple Patch Recovery Scorecard
Tracking how your body is feeling, and being in tune with how your body is reacting to training is so important to understand if you’re beginning to come down with something. Access the Recovery Scorecard to monitor your recovery and health.