12

Running in the cold (Read 325 times)

Joann Y


    To me, this sounds ridiculous. You are trying to tell us that up to half of runners (or almost all in some cases) have exercise induced asthma. The numbers you are quoting sound preposterous and, if true, then a bunch of people are getting treatment that they don't need.


    Gang Name "Pound Cake"

       

      Yeah, but that "health problem" is extraordinarily common - the IOC says that ONE QUARTER of Winter Olympics athletes are being treated for EIA, with a max at ONE HALF of the cross country skiers.  It's considered a "repetitive stress injury" for cold weather athletes.  I'm pretty sure it's about that common in the trail runners in my area.  At my last ultra, someone I was running with mentioned forgetting his asthma meds, and every single person in our pack was carrying an inhaler.

       

      You're right that the "cold" doesn't damage the lungs, but the inflammatory response does, if a person is getting that.  And the meds will get that under control in a way that no scarf over the nose ever will.

       

      With the asthma meds, it's very much "a stitch in time saves nine".  If a person starts meds "early" in the process, they'll use less meds overall.   I've had EIA all my life.  Before getting it treated, I would cough and wheeze in the winter while walking briskly, shoveling snow, sledding, etc.  Now if I'm on top of my meds for my running, I'm able to breathe fine while shoveling snow or cross country skiing with my kids.... even if I haven't taken my meds that day.  If I've been good about them during the winter, I'll be able to discontinue them as soon as the weather is consistently above freezing.

       

      So, why are your health problems a reason to attack me? I said my comment was not for those with asthma and you jumped down my throat anyway.

      - Scott

      2014 Goals: First Marathon - BQ2016 <3:40 (3:25:18) - 1/2M <1:45 - 5K <22:00

      2014 Marathons: 05/04 Flying Pig (3:49:02) - 09/20 Air Force (BQ 3:25:18) - 11/01 Indianapolis Monumental

      SillyC


        To me, this sounds ridiculous. You are trying to tell us that up to half of runners (or almost all in some cases) have exercise induced asthma. The numbers you are quoting sound preposterous and, if true, then a bunch of people are getting treatment that they don't need.

         

        It's true -

         

        Here's  a paper that has a nice chart showing many, many studies of athletes and EIA and EIB:

        http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01662.x/full

         

        Here's the IOC study that I was talking about, with half the cross country skiers:
        http://www.setantacollege.com/wp-content/uploads/Journal_db/Incidence%20of%20exercise-induced%20bronchospasm%20in%20Olympic%20winter%20sport%20athletes..pdf

        SillyC


           

          So, why are your health problems a reason to attack me? I said my comment was not for those with asthma and you jumped down my throat anyway.

           

          Sorry, then - I must have misread the intention behind your post.  It seemed rather judgey about how bodies "should" work.


          Gang Name "Pound Cake"

            To me, this sounds ridiculous. You are trying to tell us that up to half of runners (or almost all in some cases) have exercise induced asthma. The numbers you are quoting sound preposterous and, if true, then a bunch of people are getting treatment that they don't need.

             

            +1

             

            i agree. I wonder, are a bunch of athletes getting "treatment" because the inhaler somehow aids performance when they don't really need it? I'm NOT suggesting those with real issues don't need an inhaler.

            - Scott

            2014 Goals: First Marathon - BQ2016 <3:40 (3:25:18) - 1/2M <1:45 - 5K <22:00

            2014 Marathons: 05/04 Flying Pig (3:49:02) - 09/20 Air Force (BQ 3:25:18) - 11/01 Indianapolis Monumental

            Joann Y


               

              It's true -

               

              Here's  a paper that has a nice chart showing many, many studies of athletes and EIA and EIB:

              http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01662.x/full

               

              Here's the IOC study that I was talking about, with half the cross country skiers:
              http://www.setantacollege.com/wp-content/uploads/Journal_db/Incidence%20of%20exercise-induced%20bronchospasm%20in%20Olympic%20winter%20sport%20athletes..pdf

               

               

               

              Yes, I see that many elite athletes are being treated for EIA. You are extrapolating that information, along with anecdotal evidence from local trail runners, to suggest that almost all recreational runners should be using inhalers. I don't buy it. I say use your balaclava, scarf, gator or what have you and stay hydrated. For the majority of recreational runners, I suspect, this is enough.

              SillyC


                 

                 

                 

                Yes, I see that many elite athletes are being treated for EIA. You are extrapolating that information, along with anecdotal evidence from local trail runners, to suggest that almost all recreational runners should be using inhalers. I don't buy it. I say use your balaclava, scarf, gator or what have you and stay hydrated. For the majority of recreational runners, I suspect, this is enough.

                 

                Yeah, I'd guess it's enough for more than half?  Maybe 75%?  But the OP is claiming his chest hurts.

                SillyC


                   

                  +1

                   

                  i agree. I wonder, are a bunch of athletes getting "treatment" because the inhaler somehow aids performance when they don't really need it? I'm NOT suggesting those with real issues don't need an inhaler.

                   

                  My last pulmonologist said something similar.  They don't aid performance normally, but the thinks some of the athletes might be getting them "just in case" they get a cold, because the inhalers can be helpful then.  HOWEVER (and this, again from my pulmonologist as well as the first paper I linked above), when they go ahead and measure lung function with the fancy shmancy machines and drugs,   they can still find high incidences of EIA in cold weather athletes.

                  Joann Y


                     

                    Yeah, I'd guess it's enough for more than half?  Maybe 75%?  But the OP is claiming his chest hurts.

                     

                    She said her ribs hurt. No mention of cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, etc. I see no reason to scare someone into thinking they might have asthma or bronchoconstriction when they haven't reported any associated symptoms. And I still don't believe that 25-50% of recreational runners need an inhaler to run in the cold.

                    Cyberic


                      I get what my doctor says is EIA when I train really hard. I start wheezing and she says that I need to use an inhaler then. So I bought one. But when I work really hard after I took a shot of inhaler (and I only take it when I work really hard), after a while I see white dots and I lose some peripheral vision acuteness. I don't feel very bad when it happens, maybe my heart is racing a bit faster (maybe not) but the vision problems are freaking me out a bit.

                       

                      When I first realized I was wheezing, it was while playing hockey, and arenas are very humid. A bit on the cool side, but humid. I don't enjoy running in the cold, mostly because of my face. But when I do, I'm never doing hard intervals or anything. I run at a comfortable pace and never had lung problems running in below 0 farenheit temperatures. I raise my scarf above my mouth and nose for a few minutes, then lower it for a few more, raise it again, etc.

                       

                      And if I did have EIA in the cold, I still wouldn't be taking any of that inhaler as I don't like what that drug does to me.

                       

                      But that inhaler was strongly recommended by my doctor. I told her: I don't need that. She answered that it's not normal to be wheezing like that. I told her it only happened after a real hard, long shift of hockey, and she still insisted I take the inhaler. Maybe there are some drug free  inhalers that just humidify the respiratory system...

                       

                      Just my personal experience here.

                      DCHASES


                        Try using the inhaler prior to working out or running in cold air. Don't wait until you're wheezing; then it's too late. Your lungs are already irritated/inflamed

                          She said her ribs hurt. No mention of cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, etc. I see no reason to scare someone into thinking they might have asthma or bronchoconstriction when they haven't reported any associated symptoms. And I still don't believe that 25-50% of recreational runners need an inhaler to run in the cold.

                          Joann Y- I found your advice most helpful. I am definitely going to slow down and listen to my body until I get used to running in the cold. I am also going to run on the treadmill when its really cold and windy. As a college athlete it would be extremely inconvenient to resort to getting an inhaler and having to go through trainers and doctors to get cleared. I just want to lose weight and stay in shape no need for complications! Thank you for your advice, now I am at ease knowing what I am experiencing is normal!!

                            Take 3-4 hits off your inhaler before you go out in the cold. Also, look into an inhaled steroid.


                            Hoodoo Guru

                              I'm going to suggest the pain may just be muscle pain from a change in running form due to the cold weather.  Do you skip on stretching because it is cold?  Do you "scrunch up" a little bit when you start running?  Do you shorten your breaths because of the cold?

                               

                              So, breathe deep, stretch, relax.

                              The tangents are moot.

                               

                               

                               


                              Resident Sk8r boi

                                If it's ribcage, or just below ribcage pain, I've experienced this in the cold. Disclaimer-I have asthma, but I do not think you are describing asthma related difficulty. My question is do you breathe in more through your nose or your mouth in these cold runs? I find that if I get some pangs around the ribcage when I turn mouth breather on my cold runs. I think I end up swallowing a bit of air, and it causes a kind of stitch-like feeling in my abdomen. what works for me is to slow things down a bit so I can nose breathe and get back in control.

                                 

                                I dunno if there's anything to it, and I'm no scientist, so take it for what it is-one idiot's opinion

                                12