Recently coach encouraged me to audit an online sports science course through University Colorado Boulder. I’m sharing some things I’ve learned as an athlete prior and during this course that hopefully helps with the SARS-CoV2 concerns in our society.
Key Points:
-Check RHR (Resting Heart Rate)
-Walk regularly (or other moderate exercise, i.g. laps up and down your home’s staircase)
-Restrict Intensive exercise
-Obviously wash hands/don’t touch face
Global Outbreak History:
SARS-CoV2 is possibly top 5 among the sudden global health outbreaks of the last century. (Not including Polio, AIDS, Measles/Mumps) Check out the previous CDC facts*:
Utilizing Your RHR
Your body is speaking to you through your Resting Heart Rate (RHR.) I’ll use a fascinating rise in my own RHR as an example (typically 41-46bpm, beats per minute.)
In October 2019, I traveled with my team to the Saguaro Sunrise Marathon in Tuscon, AZ. I set a new PR: 1hr 27mins (6 mins faster, WooHoo!) However, driving home, I became sick…FOR 2 WEEKS! The following are my 6am RHR Journal entries:
10/17 – Sleep at 9:30p RHR 48
10/18 – Drove to Phoenix
10/19 – Sleep @ 10:30 – Phoenix Hilton RHR 57 6-6:30a
(Marathon Race was 10/20—no entry)
10/23 – Sleep 10:30 RHR 60 (sick-throat-Springer Cold)
10/24 – Sleep 8 pm RHR 58 still sick
10/25 – Sleep 10:30pm RHR 53 Vice Head still sick
10/26 – RHR 58 ☹ FOCO HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/27 – Sunday RHR 66 ☹ HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/28 – RHR 61 ☹ HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/29 – RHR 58 ☹ HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/30 – RHR 59 ☹ slept better @ least 4 hrs solid
11/1 – RHR 57 – Did half Incline. Skated Sertich @ Night Sesh
11/2 – RHR 56 – breakfast, oatmeal w/Cin. Tst Crunch
11/4 – Monday RHR 52 Veledrome: 1:15:31
11/7 – Sleep @ 12:05am, 6-6:30am RHR 49 Feeling better, cold going away only coughing due to tickle
11/8 – Sleep 9:30p, 6-6:30 RHR 48 No coughing all night
This month, I got a new HR monitor and noticed some sleep correlations:
4/6 9hrs sleep, RHR 44. 4/7 7hrs sleep, RHR 45. 4/8 8hrs sleep, RHR 45.
4/9 8hrs sleep, RHR 44. 4/10 6hrs sleep, RHR 49. 4/11 7.5hrs sleep, RHR 44.
4/12 10hrs nap+sleep, RHR 43. 4/13 10.5 nap+sleep, RHR 42.
Your RHR can point out where you’re at in each illness cycle and determine if you need to increase sleep/rest.
Moderate Exercise **
The UC Boulder course professor explained that 300,000 Americans die annually due to inactivity. That’s 3 million people per decade! But… at risk/sedentary individuals can boost their immune system by 50% with moderate activity in only 3 months! This means going for a regular walk, or climbing the staircase, will significantly help fight this SARS virus by July (today is April 2020). Even if the infection rate rose, the death rate would decline
Intensive Exercise
In the same UC Boulder course, I learned that 1-2 hrs of intensive exercise, such as in world class cyclists and marathoners, can deplete your immune system down 65% for 3-6 HRS! A month ago I was shocked to read about Cameron Van Der Burgh—Olympic Swimmer—struggling against Covid19***, but now it makes sense. Even healthy individuals can’t fight illness with depleted illness defense systems a.k.a. Immune Systems.
Wash Hands/Don’t Touch Face
Yes, we all officially know to wash our hands and not touch our face. Our head has 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose, and 1 mouth… That’s a lot of entry points for a virus to get in.
Definition of Vaccine
According to Webster, a vaccine is a preparation of [organisms] that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease.
Since our bodies already have the tools to create its own immunity to disease, why not use it? In fact, Why Not BOOST our Immune Systems? Reflect on October, it’s no wonder that I got gnarly sick after setting a 1.5hr Personal Record, I killed my immune system and hung around a sick athlete. So to keep healthy, you and I need to get ill smarter:
I hope this gives you a glimpse of practical hope, a hope that you can do something to increase your immunity to illness regardless of age. Your body will appreciate you for it.
#hopecombatsfear
*CDC Facts:
*** https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2882494-olympian-cameron-van-der-burgh-says-covid-19-is-by-far-the-worst-virus.amp.html
Key Points:
-Check RHR (Resting Heart Rate)
-Walk regularly (or other moderate exercise, i.g. laps up and down your home’s staircase)
-Restrict Intensive exercise
-Obviously wash hands/don’t touch face
Global Outbreak History:
SARS-CoV2 is possibly top 5 among the sudden global health outbreaks of the last century. (Not including Polio, AIDS, Measles/Mumps) Check out the previous CDC facts*:
- H1N1 – Spanish Flu 1918-1919: 500 million infections : 50 million deaths, 10%
- SARS-CoV 2003 (concluded January 2004): 8,098 infections : 774 deaths, 9.55%
- H1N1 – Swine Flu 2009-2010: 60.8 million infections (USA) : 12,469 deaths (USA), .02%
- Ebola 2014 (concluded June 2015, primarily Africa): 27,000 infections : 11,000 deaths, 40.7%
Utilizing Your RHR
Your body is speaking to you through your Resting Heart Rate (RHR.) I’ll use a fascinating rise in my own RHR as an example (typically 41-46bpm, beats per minute.)
In October 2019, I traveled with my team to the Saguaro Sunrise Marathon in Tuscon, AZ. I set a new PR: 1hr 27mins (6 mins faster, WooHoo!) However, driving home, I became sick…FOR 2 WEEKS! The following are my 6am RHR Journal entries:
10/17 – Sleep at 9:30p RHR 48
10/18 – Drove to Phoenix
10/19 – Sleep @ 10:30 – Phoenix Hilton RHR 57 6-6:30a
(Marathon Race was 10/20—no entry)
10/23 – Sleep 10:30 RHR 60 (sick-throat-Springer Cold)
10/24 – Sleep 8 pm RHR 58 still sick
10/25 – Sleep 10:30pm RHR 53 Vice Head still sick
10/26 – RHR 58 ☹ FOCO HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/27 – Sunday RHR 66 ☹ HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/28 – RHR 61 ☹ HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/29 – RHR 58 ☹ HORRIBLE SLEEP
10/30 – RHR 59 ☹ slept better @ least 4 hrs solid
11/1 – RHR 57 – Did half Incline. Skated Sertich @ Night Sesh
11/2 – RHR 56 – breakfast, oatmeal w/Cin. Tst Crunch
11/4 – Monday RHR 52 Veledrome: 1:15:31
11/7 – Sleep @ 12:05am, 6-6:30am RHR 49 Feeling better, cold going away only coughing due to tickle
11/8 – Sleep 9:30p, 6-6:30 RHR 48 No coughing all night
This month, I got a new HR monitor and noticed some sleep correlations:
4/6 9hrs sleep, RHR 44. 4/7 7hrs sleep, RHR 45. 4/8 8hrs sleep, RHR 45.
4/9 8hrs sleep, RHR 44. 4/10 6hrs sleep, RHR 49. 4/11 7.5hrs sleep, RHR 44.
4/12 10hrs nap+sleep, RHR 43. 4/13 10.5 nap+sleep, RHR 42.
Your RHR can point out where you’re at in each illness cycle and determine if you need to increase sleep/rest.
Moderate Exercise **
The UC Boulder course professor explained that 300,000 Americans die annually due to inactivity. That’s 3 million people per decade! But… at risk/sedentary individuals can boost their immune system by 50% with moderate activity in only 3 months! This means going for a regular walk, or climbing the staircase, will significantly help fight this SARS virus by July (today is April 2020). Even if the infection rate rose, the death rate would decline
Intensive Exercise
In the same UC Boulder course, I learned that 1-2 hrs of intensive exercise, such as in world class cyclists and marathoners, can deplete your immune system down 65% for 3-6 HRS! A month ago I was shocked to read about Cameron Van Der Burgh—Olympic Swimmer—struggling against Covid19***, but now it makes sense. Even healthy individuals can’t fight illness with depleted illness defense systems a.k.a. Immune Systems.
Wash Hands/Don’t Touch Face
Yes, we all officially know to wash our hands and not touch our face. Our head has 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose, and 1 mouth… That’s a lot of entry points for a virus to get in.
Definition of Vaccine
According to Webster, a vaccine is a preparation of [organisms] that is administered to produce or artificially increase immunity to a particular disease.
Since our bodies already have the tools to create its own immunity to disease, why not use it? In fact, Why Not BOOST our Immune Systems? Reflect on October, it’s no wonder that I got gnarly sick after setting a 1.5hr Personal Record, I killed my immune system and hung around a sick athlete. So to keep healthy, you and I need to get ill smarter:
- Listen to your body (RHR), it can tell you when you lack sleep or illness is coming.
- Be proactive and increase your immune system before you get sick with regular moderate activity throughout each week.
- Plan intensive workouts to conclude in a safe zone during your 3-6 hr recovery.
- Keep the germs away from your insides. Wash hands, don’t touch your face.
I hope this gives you a glimpse of practical hope, a hope that you can do something to increase your immunity to illness regardless of age. Your body will appreciate you for it.
#hopecombatsfear
*CDC Facts:
- https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-pandemic-h1n1.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/sars/about/fs-SARS.pdf
- https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/estimates_2009_h1n1.htm
- https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html
*** https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2882494-olympian-cameron-van-der-burgh-says-covid-19-is-by-far-the-worst-virus.amp.html