flu-like symptoms after prolonged exertion

cojones
cojones Posts: 131
edited June 2013 in Training, fitness and health
Hi,

Has anyone come across this and can give me any advice or reassurance?

I'm fit and healthy, have been racing regularly all season but after riding hard for 3 hours in a 50 mile sportive on Sunday I got all the symptoms of flu within 2 hours of finishing. The aches went but the hot and cold sweats, headache, sore throat, dizziness all remained. It's never happened before and all I can put it down to is intense exertion for longer than my body is used to and it just being literally exhausted.

Any similar experiences?

Cheers,

Matt
http://www.tuneyourdi2.com

Comments

  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    May be you picked up a virus
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • Hollow-legs
    Hollow-legs Posts: 142
    Funny you should mention this ,as i was going to ask the same question ! I had the same syptoms a couple of weeks ago!
    Now let me start by mentioning that i work shifts ...lates then early shifts ,week by week,basically it really f***ks up my whole body eco system!
    I struggle to train or go for any early rides then onto work! Feel tired all the time when on lates!
    I use trainerroad to help mantain my fitness,which it has ,i have never been fitter , i have been riding 14 months!

    I did a TR sesssion on sunday afternoon last week ,just a hour of near threshold and above threshold intervals 2 minutes with 3 minutes rest between i think ,,not that stressful by TR workouts...went to work an hour later for my late shift!
    Did an 8.30 hour shift ,cycled home the 3.4 miles in a headwind!Went to bed at about 2.00 am
    Woke up at 3.45am with a sore throat ,,sweating,,cough ,,,weezing ,,aches and pains..took a paracetamol ,slept till 12.30 pm next day ,,still feeling ill..with the same sypmtons ,,,body like felt like lead,no energy,dizzyness ,,i had these sypmtoms for two days only felt better yesterday (wednesday 19th)
    Now i had these same sypmtons two weeks ago after two days of outside rides in a row...35 miles each...although the sytmptons was not so pronounced that time!I thought i had picked up cold, virus now two weeks later and the same result, i am beginnning to think i might be overtraining ,but i am not really sure?

    Now let me say i have CKD (chronic kidney disease) I only have 16 % function of both kidneys and i am on the kidney transplant list ..I am pretty fit and lived with CKD for over 4 years now ,cycling has made me fitter than ever .
    The fact is i get tired quickly and take longer to recover after excerise ...have a low Vo2 max ....i really think that the stypmtons above that i got are from overtraining on my part...Though i like to beleive it was a virus,,, :?

    We are all different and our bodies react in different ways ,,could be you body telling you to rest for a while?
  • peddlingmadness
    peddlingmadness Posts: 151
    I'm Fit and healthy but it happened to me this week just doing a timed Hill climb competition. Started coughing immediately afterwards with a sore throat and then a severe migrane (never usually get them). Oh and I tasted copper in my mouth (strange) Felt ill for over 24hours. I don't believe its a virus I just think I over did it and pushed my body too far and it was telling me so. All be it in a nasty way..! I had a HR monitor on and it hit 189, my upper limit for my age is 178 so probably need to be more careful. Sounds like you just overdid it, you need to either take it easier (not an option for most on here) or up your fitness (I know your probably all ready super fit but, just saying) All the best..
  • zardoz
    zardoz Posts: 251
    Never had this from riding my bike but in my younger running days I would occasionally do longer races - usually half marathon which if I pushed it hard I would feel flu-like for a few hours after the race. One question I would ask is did you drink enough during the ride and then re-hydrate effectively after the ride? Some of the symptoms could be due to dehydration.

    Peddlingmadness, I think you will find your max HR is 189!! 178 presumably comes from one of the methods of estimation? This will vary quite a lot for most people. If I use one method of calculation mine should be 163 but I have seen it as high as 176 which is what I use as my max HR.
    http://www.strava.com/athletes/1767978
  • GGBiker
    GGBiker Posts: 450
    Exercise especially the hard variety induces a state of immunosuppression unfortunately, leaving you prone to picking up an infection in the hours following exercise. Many endurance athletes avoid contact with others for a few hours after training for this reason, they go and lie down alone for a nap.
  • paul_mck
    paul_mck Posts: 1,058
    im the same, longish ride home from work last night and I feel like crap today. My son had it a few days ago and I think the ride last night made me catch it.

    last time I was sick was just after a sportive too.

    hope I dont have aids :(
  • Hollow-legs
    Hollow-legs Posts: 142
    GGBIKER:
    Probadly think your correct,,everyone at my workplace have or have had a heavy flu like virus! I think i overtrained myself...that day,left my poor immune system compremised and open to attack!
    Becuase of my kidneys i have a low immune system anyway ,more likely to catch anything !
  • cojones
    cojones Posts: 131
    so...I went to the GP who referred me to hospital! 2 days, 20+ different tests and 6 hospital meals later I was discharged with some anti-biotics 'just in case'.

    They didn't know what it was but my bloods showed high infection indicators and my liver showed impaired function. They initially feared meningitis but quickly ruled it out luckily, but they were concerned with the proximity of the onset to the prolonged exertion.

    Although feeling much better, my head/eyes still feel 'bruised' and I really haven't got a clue what it was. I haven't been on the bike since either so really need to jump back on.
    http://www.tuneyourdi2.com

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