Breathless - Cold Weather ?

robrauy

I've been noticing over the last few weeks that I'm getting short of breath when doing fast efforts/climbs. I still seem to be able to do them at the same rate, but find myself gasping to get enough air into my lungs.

I feel absolutely fine in every other respect, so I'm guessing that this has something to do with the air temperature. I do get mild asthma, but this hasn't got any worse recently..

Just curious to know if anyone else has noticed anything similar...

Bhima

I asked a similar question a while ago and also have a history of asthma. See here:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12645643

On cold days, I've found that putting a firm restriction on how much power I put out until i'm fully warmed up stops this problem all together because I always used to get it when I was out of breath in cold temperatures. I'm not just talking about a general warm up, I mean actually feeling hot and sweaty. Being in oxygen debt within the first 5 minutes or so was giving my lungs a massive shock with a load of cold air I think. It could just take 10 minutes to warm up but yesterday it took me about 30 minutes before my body temperature felt "warm". Generally ramping up my effort slowly over 15 minutes at high cadences to get the blood flowing progressively harder seems to work.

shockedsoshocked

Be careful gulping in really cold air. I would imagine every cyclist experiences it at some point, but it can always lead to illness, and in some extreme cases pneumonia :shock:

robrauy

Sorry Bhima - Didn't see your post. It does sound very similar.

I agree about warming up as well. The first few hills on a chilly morning are definitely the worst.

I also agree about gulping in cold air, though I'm not sure how to get round this. I read somewhere that breathing through your nose warms the air up before it hits your lungs, but sometimes I can't get enough in this way.

mask of sanity

I'm asthmatic and all though the summer I have no breathing problems at all (hardly use my inhaler at all) but as soon as the weather changes I get loads. The weird thing is my inhalers don't help during the winter months so it doesn't seem to be asthma related (although it's not going to help!!). I've not found any ways to get round it so can't really help you but just thought I'd let you know that you're not alone.

freehub

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

Be careful gulping in really cold air. I would imagine every cyclist experiences it at some point, but it can always lead to illness, and in some extreme cases pneumonia :shock:

Why would gulping cause illness? I do it all the time, but I might think twice now!!! :shock:

I just came back from a ride, and I find that I'm not able to push as fast, I'm just feeling out of breath, and then I get lactic build up in my legs quicker, but I put it down to loss of fitness, I know averages aint important but I'm at least 2mph overall slower than I was at the start of September.

But I also noticed at the same time, last year, I also noticed a reduction in performance, and I put it down to 2 weeks off the bike, around feb time is when my performance really went up and by june I was at the best I've being, then september my performance started to drop, weirdly at the exact same point I moved back to Manchester, but then I was ill for 1 week, then fine for 1 week, then got the flu for one week, then fine for 4 weeks, then I got the flu for another week, but since then I've been fine... I think...

I used to have asthma, but it was only mild, It got really bad once but that was years and years ago, since then it faded and I've not used inhalers for years.

robrauy

mask of sanity wrote:

I'm asthmatic and all though the summer I have no breathing problems at all (hardly use my inhaler at all) but as soon as the weather changes I get loads. The weird thing is my inhalers don't help during the winter months so it doesn't seem to be asthma related (although it's not going to help!!). I've not found any ways to get round it so can't really help you but just thought I'd let you know that you're not alone.

Thanks for the reply - It's the same for me. Doesn't feel like Asthma and using a Salbutamol inhaler seems to make no difference.

I think I'm fitter this year than I've been before on the bike which is why I'm noticing it so much...

shockedsoshocked

freehub wrote:

ShockedSoShocked wrote:

Be careful gulping in really cold air. I would imagine every cyclist experiences it at some point, but it can always lead to illness, and in some extreme cases pneumonia :shock:

Why would gulping cause illness? I do it all the time, but I might think twice now!!! :shock:

It doesn't always lead to illness, but pretty much my whole team was laid up with chest infections during and just after the Christmas period last year, because we'd kicked seven bells out of each other for 2 weeks solid. It was particularly cold last year though, so you're probably OK most of the time.

The time when I'm really opening my lungs up (intervals, threshold sessions) I do in the relative warmth of the garage or conservatory. I really would not want to do them on the road about now as the temperature is barely in the plus numbers.

freehub

Well I cycled loads last year, even when it was below 0, I always have a habbit of having my mouth wide open too.

Hopefully it's the fact you where thashing each other for 2 weeks

shockedsoshocked

Yeh we considered that. It was pretty much a stage race, which resulted in me flying through january and february like a train and going like a bag of spanners come the racing season. (i missed an illness but had the obligatory annual chest infection turn up in about august)

Don't think it hurts to be sensible though!

andrew@snowrace

Had similar problem started last week when to Vet who proscribed ventolin bloody great no problems since I recomend a good doctor. Andy www.madaboutthemountains.co.uk

jacster

It's also worth remembering to eat and drink as normal when it's cold. It's easy to forget to stay hydrated when it's freezing.
All my rides are steady at the moment. Fast efforts and intervals can wait until the spring.