Its just amazing how this is progressing. We are at all time highs from people passing from covid up here and its completely radio silent!
Just had my first COVID episode two weeks ago. Pretty much all of my acute symptoms have subsided, but still have a strong sense of lingering fatigue. I’m able to get through my work-day, but at the end of the day, no energy left over for training. Hoping that my energy levels rebound sooner vs. later.
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Took 4 weeks for my fatigue to subside but I did train some (easy) during this time. It will get better, just takes time
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I posted on my experience above, but I’m pretty much back to normal after catching Covid on about September 15th? So, pretty much 5 weeks ago today was first symptoms. I took 2 weeks 100% off, starting in week 3 was endurance only, starting in week 4 FTP drop from 289 to 280 and wasn’t back to normal, but was able to start doing a couple real workouts again. Week 5 was last week, really felt back to normal and harder workouts started progressing. I’d bet another week or two and I’m back to where I started, but other than missing out on my A race, I probably needed some time off the bike anyways.
My Sweet Spot and Threshold PL’s are still a little lower than where I was, even with the FTP Drop, but oddly enough my VO2 Max is significantly higher, I was 7.6 at 289, now I’m 8.9 at 280. I do have a Threshold and a Sweet Spot coming up between now and the end of the week though, so am expecting a bump for both of those based on how things have been going.
Edit: Definitely getting better. Just did a 90 min sweet spot workout that had 3x20 min sweet spot intervals at 90%, 94%, 92% and Sweet Spot and Tempo PL’s each jumped up by almost a full point.
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It’s such a weird virus. Tested positive on 22 September, felt pretty sick for 5 days and positive for another 6 after that. I then took another week off exercising, and now I feel fine (though still coughing a bit). But my fitness has taken a big hit. I don’t know if it’s from basically doing nothing for 3 weeks or the after effects of the virus, but it’s making me feel sad. Going to take a while to claw it all back.
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It’ll be a mix, damage to your internal organs plus no training reducing your exercise capacity.
I just started back on Trainerroad this week. I had Covid in March, fully vaccinated, felt like crap for a week, no taste, tired etc. Then OK up until about 6 weeks ago. I do a Saturday MTB ride and Sunday road ride. Now I get really short of breath on any uphill or if the pace picks up. I have to stop on some uphills I used to make it up. Strangely I had one Saturday a few weeks ago that I was back to normal and felt good. Then the following weekend shortness of breath. My FTP test was low. After 30 minutes on the trainer I am gassed. My legs often feel OK I am just out of breath. Just going to keep trying to hopefully start making some gains.
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Interesting updates on this thread!
I just got my 4th shot. FTP gainz expected.
68 year old male been using TR for we several years and have built big aerobic engine. Like doing 50-100 mile rides in zone 2 mostly. Using Polarized training. I have had Covid for 4 days and it has knocked me out. Was training 8-10 hours week between indoor and outdoor riding. I am wondering what best way will be to begin training again once I feel up to it. I figure i will be off bike least 7-10 days before I can resume any training. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.
FYI I rode about 9,200 miles between indoor on trainer and outside in past 12 months. Thanks
I’ve had covid twice. The second time was followed by influenza B.
In my experience covid was short lived in regards to the acute/immediate symptoms.
While less severe, the longer term aftermath was problematic when it came to getting back to full normal activity levels. I was very easily out of breath with very little exertion.
From what I have heard, experienced or read it seems like the best course of action is to take it easy for about 2-3 weeks and then gently work your way back into your normal routine. Everybody responds differently so you will have to judge for yourself in the end.
Hopefully you will be feeling well soon.
I moved your post under one on the same topic, with lots of expertise to review.
I had Covid recently with my first negative test last Saturday. Mine was mild, like a head cold, with just 24 hours with a slight chill and running nose, sore throat and blocked nose rest if time, being 2-3 weeks after a booster.
When symptoms have past and you feel able I’d recommend starting at easier intensities and shorter duration to assess the lay of the land.
I started with a 1 hour Z1 recovery ride , Z1 * with a 10 min Z2 interval, on turbo. This went fine so next I did an outdoor ride.
A 40 minute Z2 ride. This went fine so next I progressed to.
A 1 hour 20 min Z2 ride with a bit of low Z3 up hills. This went fine so next I progressed to.
A 2 hour Z2 ride with some medium Z3 up hills. This went fine.
I’m planning on not going harder than medium Z3, and will mostly keep it Z2 for the next couple of weeks. For me, the key is to listen to how your body feels, does RPE match heart rate, is your breathing controlled, how does your chest feel, any exercise induced coughing, is there any fatigue? Any other unusual symptoms either during or after exercise?
If alls gone well for two weeks, I’ll introduce a little Z4 intensity and see how that feels, anything not quite right etc.
- I’m talking in context of 5 zone HR here.
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I tested every 48 hours with LFT during my recent Covid. At 7 days the positive line was still there, but fainter and took longer to appear. I tested negative 9 days after my first positive test, and 11 days after first symptoms.
In August 2022, 58 percent of deaths related to Covid were to people vaccinated and/or boosted.
The vast majority of the population is now vaccinated, so you’d expect the majority of people who die of covid to also be vaccinated. If 90% are vaccinated, and if vaccination made no difference, than 90% of death should be of people vaccinated, or alternatively, only 10% of death should be of those not vaccinated. The fact that a much larger proportion of 42% is unvaccinated people shows that vaccination cuts the risk of death massively.
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The good news is that your big aerobic engine will not disappear overnight or even over a fortnight. Also, for many the timing is much better getting covid now than in spring or summer season.
I think the key is to take off 7-10 days as you describe and then start up easy. Covid is not like a regular flu and you may / may not feel fine again after 10 days. I didn’t feel particular good after 10 days. I started commuting slowly after 7 days. Some additional days after I started endurance riding and around two weeks after I started to do efforts.
But I think it is highly individual. Just focus on recovering and listening to your body instead of trying to force anything.
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That is following the normal detraining progression, if you only consider the impact of not training for two weeks. With Covid it is possible to recover just fine and continue with only a training gap, but unfortunately for some it can have much bigger consequences.
Inigo San Millan did some research on this topic and found that recovered Covid patients that were fit before, afterwards showed very similar responses as people with metabolic syndrome. His idea is that the virus might have damaged the mitochondria, which destroys your endurance capability.
There is not much you can do about it. Wait until recovered and then pick up training again. Very quickly you can measure where you are and if the drop in fitness was only a little or a very drastic amount. Either way, you pick up where you are at.
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And of course your point is that this shows how amazingly effective the vaccines are, given how underrepresented the vaccinated are in death statistics, right?
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Tested positive today (fully vaccinated plus booster etc.) and just feels like bad cold. Will have 5 days off regardless, then some more if still feel grotty/not 100%. Will then have 5-7 days of easy rides at endurance, if feel ok towards end of this period then throw in some shorter (2-5mins) intervals at tempo/sweetspot to test the waters. Then should be back ok.
Did this the first time I got covid (about 18 months ago) and seemed to work well. Trick is to prioritise recovery over training and ease back on slowly!
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I’d just recommend taking it easy. Had Covid a few months back and I thought it was relatively light, after the first night of fever symptoms I was just a bit tired. Took 7-10days off the bike and when I restarted my HR was ridiculous any sort of effort would spike it higher than a sprint. Took about 4weeks for my fitness and hr to return back to normal. I might have made it worse on myself though as the evening I tested positive I had smashed in a fast 30miles which probably never helped
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