Fitness: Working out when sick is counterproductive

Polls

How do you like to stay fit?

	The Gym!
	Running / Jogging
	Rollerblading
	Cycling
	Tennis
	Team Sports
	All of the Above!

Our Sponsors

DWYCI Fitness: Sports

DWYCI Fitness prides itself on improving an athlete’s strength, power, speed, flexibility, body control, agility, and conditioning.

Fitness: Working out when sick is counterproductive

Monday, 09 November 2009 08:18

Body needs rest or recovery will linger.

Published on November 3, 2009

With the outbreak of H1N1, or the swine flu as it"s commonly called, the coughing, sore throat, body aches and fever season has started sooner than usual. Yet all the endorphin junkies (yes, you) have a workout scheduled and you want your fix. So you plod along, scared that if you skip a single day you"ll gain weight or lose some of the fitness you have built.

However, exercising with anything more than a mild cold is a counterproductive process, and you really need to take the time and allow your body to heal.

If you are any sicker than a stuffy nose, you should skip your workout altogether so you are able to come back fast and strong.

When you"re ill:

- Do not exercise with a fever, respiratory illness or infection or when you have symptoms such as muscle aches or chills.

- Do not ignore symptoms that could be related to your heart such as shortness of breath, chest pain or lightheadedness.

- Do keep performance expectations in check when coming back from an illness. You will not feel as strong or as fast when you first return, so be patient and allow yourself time to get back in the groove.

- Do practice active restraint. Wait until your body and mind are both well and motivated before you return to training.

Why not?

When you"re sick and your muscles ache, there is good reason. During an illness or infection, people go through a process of protein catabolism or more simply, a breakdown of muscle protein. That means that while you"re ill, all that aching and soreness you feel in your muscles is greatly due to the breakdown of the muscle tissue.

The degree to which your body breaks down muscle protein is related to the length or duration of illness and the severity of your infection.

Therefore, it"s easy to understand why trying to exercise through or sweat out an illness is detrimental to your health and fitness. You are prolonging the infection and recovery time and aiding in the continual breakdown of muscle protein, which can eventually attack the heart too.

Also, when you are ill, aerobic metabolism becomes impaired so you can"t even use fat as an energy source to fuel your body. This means that muscle tissue becomes the primary energy source for healing. If you add the demand of a workout to an ailing body that is already using muscle tissue to fuel its recovery, it is evident how this stress leads to the breakdown of lean muscle tissue.

The bottom line is when you"re sick, take a break or you"ll be paying a greater price later.

Visit my Blog...