Avoiding illness during high training loads

Reduced training time due to illness will significantly reduce the chances of achieving a performance goal. Cyclists who remain healthy and are able to complete more than 80% of their planned training are more likely to achieve success at their target events. How can you avoid an illness that could disrupt your training?

The first step to avoiding infection is to prevent these organisms from reaching your mouth and nose. The easiest way to do this is to stop touching your face. In addition, washing your hands with plain soap and water regularly will cut down your risk of infection by up to half.

A moderate amount of exercise can improve immune function, but at times hard training and racing has the opposite effect, causing suppression of the immune system’s first defense mechanisms. This is a chronic phenomenon, but is also compounded by an acute reduction in immune function after every exercise session. This can last anywhere from 3-72 hours and is known as the “open window” phenomenon. Avoiding crowded places or areas that might have been exposed to viruses (such as shopping centers, restaurants and other frequented areas) is crucial when you’ve just done a hard training session.