How to stay healthy this winter
As many of us have adapted to a Covid secure world with regular hand washing, face masks and social distancing, the chances of us picking up a common cold or flu this winter may be much lower. However, as we move into the winter months, there is still plenty that we can all do to make sure we stay healthy this winter, Coach Jon takes us through a few things we may want to consider.
Nutrition
For most of us, the winter season is our offseason; the time when we dial back the training and (Covid restriction dependent), let our hair down. It can be a time when our good nutritional habits take a back seat as we allow ourselves time to unwind and let go. That’s all fine and positively encouraged, however, if we want to maintain our health throughout the winter, we need to continue to eat a healthy well-balanced diet to help keep our bodies strong and our immune systems in tip-top shape. Having said that, no matter how on top of our diet we are, many nutritionists recommend supplementing with a few key vitamins to boost our immune system over winter.
Vitamin D
Trying to absorb sufficient sunlight to produce vitamin D naturally is a challenge even during the summer months in the UK and all but impossible during winter. Vitamin D is the go-to nutrient to help protect immune function. There are very few foods that naturally provide sufficient amounts of vitamin D, so it is a supplement most nutritionists recommend through the winter months. Interestingly, a recent study found that over 80 per cent of Covid-19 patients had low levels of vitamin D. While taking vitamin D doesn’t give any immunity against Covid-19, it can’t hurt and will certainly help your immune system fend off winter bugs.
Vitamin C, Iron and Zinc
According to our partner nutritionist at the Bosworth Clinic, Helen Money, vitamin C, iron and zinc are also key nutrients that support the immune system. However, Helen recommends only taking these when you feel under the weather as you should be able to get these from a well-balanced diet.
Echinacea
If you do pick up a cold this winter, evidence suggests echinacea can help to reduce the duration of the symptoms of the common cold.
Probiotics
Probiotics are often touted as immune system boosters. However, the evidence around probiotics is somewhat blurred. Some pharmaceutical-grade probiotics have been shown to help boost your immune system. It may be worth considering introducing a probiotic to help boost your immune system this winter, but we would recommend speaking to a nutritionist to find one that is right for you.
As always with nutrition, you are best advised to seek professional advice from a nutritionist such as Helen Money.
Hydration
It is important to stay hydrated year-round, during the summer it can be easy to keep on top of your hydration as we feel the thirst. However, when the temperatures drop, reaching for a cold drink is the last thing on your mind. Avoiding dehydration is important for our immune system as water makes up an essential part of the blood and lymphatic transport systems needed for an efficient immune system function. Hydration is also important for saliva production, which forms one of the body’s first lines of defence against infection.
Sleep
The importance of sleep cannot be underestimated - getting regular, good quality sleep is a year-round practice to keep our bodies healthy. Research by the University of California San Francisco highlights the effect of lack of sleep can have on our immune system. The research demonstrated that people who slept an average of 6 hours a night or less were significantly more likely to catch a common cold than those who slept for 7 hours or more. Of course, this is a year-round thing, but it does become more important during the colder months of the year. If you don’t give your body time to adequately recover from the stress of training by cutting your sleep short, you are giving the cold and flu viruses a better chance to take hold.
Winter Training
Wrap up
With so many of us fine-tuning our lockdown indoor training set-ups this year we may find it easier to stay warm and train indoors this winter. However, if you are venturing out for a long session this winter, make sure you’ve checked the weather and have planned your clothing appropriately. It's all about the layers! If the weather turns and you are cold or wet, don’t be afraid to cut the session short and finish it off indoors instead. Although there is no clear evidence that cold exposure increases the chances of picking up an illness, it is an added stressor on your body that could potentially run your immune system down.
Training load
Research from the 80s and 90s describes the ‘J-shaped curve’, where regular moderate exercise (40 minutes a day) can dramatically decrease the occurrence of upper respiratory tract infections. However, the same curve indicates that high-intensity training, such as triathlon training causes the body to produce cortisol and adrenaline, which can temporarily suppress the immune system as the body recovers from these high-intensity sessions. Leaving a ‘window of susceptibility’ when our bodies may be more susceptible to viruses, lasting from 3 to up to 72 hours. Taking this theory into account, it would be sensible to avoid large crowds or public transport immediately after a hard training session. However, more recently, this ‘J-shaped curve’ theory has been challenged, read this article to find out more. Either way, using common training planning principles encourage adequate rest after intense sessions, regular rest days and rest weeks to allow your body to recover and repair before the next hard session. If your body is indeed susceptible to illness post-training following a properly structured plan will help. Keeping a training diary or working with a triathlon coach can help you get the balance of high intensity, low intensity and rest days right.
Track your HRV
Tracking HRV can give you some early warning signs of impending illness and help you decide when to back off the training. If you feel a cold coming on, it’s best to catch it early and take an extra couple of days rest. It’s much easier to ‘lose’ a day or two of scheduled training than it is to be forced into two weeks off with a full-on chest infection. You can shorten the duration of your sickness and avoid sacrificing workout quality if you simply dial it back when you start feeling under the weather. Tracking HRV can give you objective data to help guide you in this regard. Although don’t become a slave to the numbers, if the HRV is looking good, but you are feeling grotty, listen to your body first and foremost.
Conclusion
Picking up a cold or the flu can happen at any time of the year, keeping on top of your nutrition, hydration, sleep, training load and recovery metrics year-round can help keep your body in tip-top shape for winter when we commonly see more cold and flu bugs in the community.
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If you’re planning your next season, just starting out in the sport or are looking for extra guidance at the very top end of the field, we are here to help, and our coaches would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us via the website, and one of the team will be in touch.