By Steve Infanti
Scripps Howard News Service Q: I exercise vigorously every day. However, I seem to have a constant head cold and my athletic performance is suffering. Is it possible that exercising is affecting my immune system? A: If you are exercising "vigorously" every day and have frequent head colds, then you very well may be over-training. If you repeatedly train over the prescribed target heart rate of 60-to-80 percent, or if you're not supplying adequate time to recover between workouts, then you are over-training and you will have problems such as frequent colds. Other warning signs and results of over-training include frequent injuries, persistent soreness and stiffness in muscles, joints and tendons and the swelling of lymph nodes in neck and groin. There are several ways to determine whether you are over-training, says Bruce Stapleton, president of Elan Vital, and founder of the Lifegevity Program offered at Vital's Lifegevity and Sports Conditioning Center in Centerville, Ohio. "Check your pulse rate 60 seconds before rising in the morning. Then take an average of five daily rates. If your pulse is five or more beats above normal, over-training may be the culprit," says Stapleton. Other signs include cloudy, dark or concentrated urine and pale, pasty skin. Treatment is simple. Rest for a couple of days, until your body tells you it's time to start again. "Most people recover by just reducing training, allowing time for recovery and paying attention to nutrition and hydration. If you refuse to rest, the likelihood of injury increases dramatically," says Stapleton. Stapleton recommends these tips to avoid over-training: - Set realistic goals.
- Vary your training.
- Take breaks.
- Gets lots of rest and relaxation. And don't work a muscle until it's fully recovered.
- Eat a complete diet.
- Don't become obsessed with training.
"Don't overlook the importance of warming-up and cooling-down," adds Stapleton. "Warming up gets your body ready for exercising and cool-downs return the heart rate to near-normal." (Send questions about health, fitness or nutrition to Steve Infanti, A Fit Life, 216 Henderson Bld., University Park, Pa., 16802, or e-mail to SCInfanti@compuserve.com.) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com)
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