If you're watching and have recovered from COVID-19, let us know what your experience was like getting back to training. It'd be great to hear some firsthand accounts.
I got sick two weeks ago and today I think it will take me a month or two to get back to my previous level. I have had a fever, headache, and muscle aches. I also think that it has affected me at the respiratory level, because I get tired quickly.
Not exactly what you are looking for but I can give you my experience of not having Covid but at the time being utterly convinced I did. This was back in March, so early on when symptoms were less clear and testing wasn't an option where I live. With hindsight I either had an uncharacteristically stronger reaction to tree pollen or perhaps a mild virus at the time or even a bit of both (or perhaps neither!). Anyway, rather ridiculously, I managed to convince myself I was positive and that caused me all sorts of issues related to associated anxiety for weeks to come. Unfortunately anxiety can give you a tight test, digestion problems resulting in chest pain (heart burn) and shortness of breath, to name but a few physical symptoms. Some of these obviously overlap with Covid symptoms, particularly back then when symptoms and long term effects were less clear, and so the anxiety cycle continued - physical reactions->anxiety->physical reactions. It took me 5 weeks to get back on the bike, when I quickly realised I was perfectly capable of aerobic efforts as before (give or take the lack of fitness from 5 weeks off) and the exercise itself helped to better manage the anxiety levels and convinced my inner hyperchondriac I was fine. I have never suffered from anxiety before so the concept of physical symptoms caused by my inner feelings was one that I only slowly came round too. Even now I have almost cut out caffeine as it seems to raise my anxiety levels and in a pandemic world it seems I'm still too on the edge to tolerate it. Rather long winded but coming back to your point about mental health - it's certainly important to focus on and to be aware of the benefits of being outside and exercising as an important part of well-being. Not to mention topics less relevant to this channel such as staying away from news channels for much of the time, having a dog to walk and fuss (or other pet cuddle buddy), eating and sleeping well. Also for me just having some time alone helped too. An introvert suddenly going from plenty of alone time to never being alone in lock down life certainly didn't help any! A very interesting video, one that I'm going to endeavour to absorb...but not worry about! The only certainty is that stress and anxiety is bad for your health so time to keep calm and carry on riding 😁
I had Covid. I'm 23 years old. Fever for 3 days. In bed with no energy for about 10 days. Went for a walk after 10 days and slept for 15 hours after. Taste/smell affected for months, coming back but very slowly. I had no respiratory issues. My dad got it from me and was hospitalised but thankfully he has recovered with no lasting problems. I got it in March, since then my fitness has improved and I think I hit an all time peak fitness in September. Glad I could recover but Covid is no joke! Sleepless nights hearing my dad struggling to breathe downstairs.
I'm going through full on symptomatic covid rn - fever, coughing, nausea, muscle ache - 10 days and counting. Even walking feels strenuous for now - I'm watching my SpOx and RHR and these seems to be holding fine for now. I'll post some post-covid workout results as soon as I'm in condition to do so.
I'm 22 years old. Covid positive 2 weeks ago with onset of mild symptoms occurring then. The 1st week was was tough, sore throat, headaches, high levels of fatigue and runny nose. This subsided by the end of the week. The 2nd week I felt much better and was back to 95% health by the end. Some runny nose lingering still and some loss in cardiovascular health. Started cycling again exactly 2 weeks from start of my covid with an easy hour ride and plan to do only 50% of my usual mileage this week
Dylan I am a 55 year old MTB marathon rider that on a earlier video asked you about a fully or a hard tail. In April I had covid and was quite sick for 2 weeks. Actually really sick. Two weeks later I started riding again and my FTP was back to 310, my previous best 4 months later. So for those worried about it it might give some hope.
Dylan, I can’t thank you enough for the scientific approach you’re promoting in this video, that’s simply what we need. I got COVID during the very early stages of the pandemic (I’m Italian), was awful. After just one day of very mild fever and general exhaustion my lungs began to burn like I never experienced before, day and night, and every breath was followed by cough. Symptoms lasted 5 days and the evening of the 4th one I began questioning myself if it was all gonna end well since I was almost struggling to breathe and going upstairs wasn’t so easy anymore. Luckily overnight the situation turned in my favour and the burn lasted for just one more day. The doctor was throwing every drug he could at me but nothing was having effect. I could hit the road again roughly 3 weeks after symptoms ended, when I tested negative. Surprisingly I found no particular difference in fitness except the normal drop you have to expect when off training for 1 month. Lesson learned: never take your health for granted, no matter what your age is or how fit you’re. Surprisingly, mom and dad got it too and barely had symptoms, being both 53. By reference, I’m 22, when younger got to the national cross country running championship. Now I’m studying engineering and cycling due to a recent knee injury that definitely cast me away from running (yeah, 2020 was definitely my year). I hate to be the pedantic guy, but since that experience I chose not to roll the dice with COVID ever again, and I feel you shouldn't too.
Tested positive on 8/13/20. Had a moderate time with it. No hospitalization. The major lasting side effect I have is nerve damage to my ears. 55% hearing loss in right ear and now a constant ringing. Being seen now by an ear specialist. Outlook for the ringing to go away isn’t good.
Great topic. While riding in a group might not put you at risk, stopping at a cafe mid ride and crowding a small establishment might. Sometimes is the little details that we fail to acknowledge.
I tested positive for Covid on June 28th. My case is weird. I had a very mild case: I experienced two days of headaches, 1 day of weird smell and taste, and 3 nights where I had a 100 degree fever that was gone by the morning. I had just crushed a 3 week block and did 60 hours over those three weeks, and tested positive on the Friday of my rest week. My FTP was ~340 watts, and when I tried riding again it was a struggle to noodle around at 180-200 watts. My lungs felt heavy, and my heart rate was sky high. It wasn’t fun to watch the fitness I worked hard for go down the drain. This went on for 2.5 months where I kept my volume low and planned on riding easy until I felt better again. Eventually I just took an entire month off of the bike at that point (September). I just started riding again two weeks ago, and my legs feel good. I’m able to do some quality aerobic rides, and have been able to do some 10-14 hour weeks. It’s definitely not how long I planned on being down with it, and it really surprised me because of how mild my symptoms were. If this gives you any motivation to take those extra precautions, it’ll make me glad! The only two places I would have contracted it was from my apartment key fob pad or door handles, or the grocery store. While I was lucky on a mild case, it really killed everything I worked for. :(
I got a similar case, ten days of very mild symptons, I didn't have fever or taste and smell loss at any time, and all my fitness is lost, the only thing different is that I have it at the end of September so I'm still having low performance for a month or two more
A similar case here. Definitely not fun to watch all the fitness gained in months/years down the drain. Tested positive on Nov 10, very mild symptoms thankfully, not such a high FTP like yours, but a decent 280W for me which was my all-time high, being 41 yrs myself, I was very proud of how hard I had worked for it, and was very confident I was on the right track to keep improving that number in the following months. Pretty much like yourself, I did my longest ride of the year the weekend before I tested positive with a 100mi ride with some 13,100ft of climbing, my all-time best performance, period. Felt amazingly good, I was so excited to keep going with my training. I had a soar muscle feeling for a couple of days, never had a fever, but felt some chest discomfort at times, and lots of anxiety kicked in and had a lot of trouble getting some quality sleep for a few days, and even tried to put a few rides on my trainer about a week after my first symptoms. I did a workout at my 170-180 watt warming up pace for about 20-30min every day I felt like doing some physical activity during the next week, until after four days in, I noticed my heart rate unusually high for the effort and, it kept like that for longer than normal after I even stopped pedalling and got off my bike. One of the days I cramped like crazy on my lower back and my thighs, to the point at I could not pedal anymore. At this point I`m beginning to think that trying to excercise in those conditions was not a very good idea. Stopped all physical activity after that and went to look for further advice and a deeper evaluation on the condition of heart and lungs after three weeks from my initial symptoms. My heart turned out ok with no trace of damage or miocarditis risk due to inflammation thankfully, but my lungs showed some traces of a mild pneumonia, which came in as a surprise to me considering I did not feel any severe symptoms whatsoever. I was advised to resume training gradually without forcing my body in any way, until things start feeling like getting to normal, and I must say, almost 4 weeks in after my first symptoms and I`m having the same sensations JB reports here, heavy lungs, legs feel wobbly, very elevated heart rate, and so on. Is going to take some serious patience here. I know I will be back at where I was, I just don`t know how long will it take. I know I don`t speak only for myself when I say training on my bike is one of the most important if not the most important activity for my anxiety and my stress management, and for finding balance in life in general, to have that taken away, even for a short period of time, is not fun. I`ve been focusing on the positive aspects of having had the best of lucks on how I managed to deal with these disease, and feeling fine physically, despite the fact that I have not been able to go back to riding my bike like I used to. I definitively advise anyone looking to resume physical activity post-covid, to take a deeper look with a physician into the shape of your heart and lungs in order to dismiss any potential risks, as Dylan mentions here, maybe the best way to go is to definitively stop any activity, for a while. The guidelines Dylan lays out make a lot of sense, but every individual reacts and adapts differently. The best thing is to keep safe and away as much as possible from the dangers of getting infected. Cheers to everyone, and be thankful always for what you got, that includes everything, and excludes nothing, and never take anything for granted, specially your health.
This is great, thank you. Diagnosed w Covid in early November, and am 2.5 weeks post initial symptoms. I plan to shut it down for a full two weeks after symptoms are gone, then really ease into it, low HR rides. Covid sucks short term, and long term is a big concern. Be safe, be diligent, and try to avoid Covid for yourself and your family and friends.
Had it in March, was on the bike within a few days after first sickness. I’m stronger than ever on the bike. I did lose my sense of smell and taste and smell is still jacked. I had essentially zero respiratory problems during the sickness. The worst part of it was severe fatigue and muscle aches (in the afternoon) for about 5 days. I’m 46 and an amateur road bike racer.
I had moderate symptoms from catching it about a month and a half ago. I still have some symptoms, mainly a persistent cough (only a few times a day though) and reduced lung capacity. I am sure I will be back to 100% but it just seems to take longer with COVID for me. I'm 35m in ok shape, not super fit but not overweight or anything.
@@Bakerking3 good luck. A female friend of mine, same age as me, also had more severe symptoms than I did (lasting cough and reduced lung capacity). She's pretty fit. I think she's OK by now (8 months after initially contracting)
Both of my parents (40s-50s and healthy) got sick at the same time with similar symptoms: very fatigued and achy muscles for a week but no respiratory symptoms. They swear it didn’t feel like a cold or flu but they tested negative for Covid twice. My dad also got a rash all over his body. They socially distance like crazy so it’s hard to imagine they could get a cold or flu while wearing masks and socially distancing during September
It's glad to know that in the medium term things are going to get better for the ones that got Covid, I had it at the end of september and haven't fully recovered from it, my fitnes level is now the one of a normal person but that's very far away from how I was pre-covid
I'm glad you made mention "When deciding to participate in a group ride, you should take into account if ...>>>you are in contact with other people who are in a high-risk category.
@@SuperJimic "The frequency and infectivity of asymptomatically infected persons are the main reasons why COVID-19 has become a pandemic" and "The current perception of asymptomatic infections does not provide clear guidance for public health measures. As asymptomatic and presymptomatic infections are not distinguishable at first sight, they may pose a significant threat to public health during the unlocking of lockdown strategies currently being implemented in many countries." International Journal of Infectious Disease published Nov 2020 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7470698/
There is a Team GB Olympic rower who has barely been able to get off the couch since getting Covid in the spring, almost no ability to train in 6 months. The chance of long Covid is the main thing that scares me about the virus
I agree. When you look at the articles about how exactly the disease progresses and damages the vascular system, it's a really worrisome disease with a lot of potential long-term effects. I've heard more than one story of someone that's so tired that even standing up long enough to take a shower is basically impossible. Walking for 15 minutes becomes a long-term fitness goal. (Interestingly, many of these long-term symptoms are similar to those of people I know who have suffered extremely severe concussions.)
@@chrismccarter6875 you also have a 30% chance of dying of cancer and a 40% chance of dying of a heart attack.... oh and a 30% chance of dying of something else.
You touched upon many things and something people need to hear. Great job and thank you for touching upon the psychological impacts as well as the physical.
I got Covid in early November. My symptoms were mild comparatively (tired, cough, lightheaded, lost taste and smell). My symptoms were SO up and down, you'd feel great one minute and shitty the next. My biggest fear was getting others sick honestly... The dizziness is what affected me the longest, it makes you tired, unmotivated and lethargic, I was a little worried getting on a bike might make me ill again? Take recovery seriously is my take away. Took off a few weeks from cycling, but I took it easy upon my return as per my Dr.. I felt great on my first ride and never looked back!
Not sure I had it in june but coming back from a mountain bike ride and the last 5 miles left I became very lethargic and feeling a bit nauseous and struggled to make it home . Once home I passed out for hours and developed a dry cough . After a few days I felt better . After about a month I struggled to pedal and my endurance was at very low levels After 4 months I feel close to normal now . I am close to 60 . Now before symptoms appeared I was riding allot and could have had a massive bonk or picked up something on the trail as valley fever is present in my area . I hopped back on the bike fairly quickly but took it very light and let my body guide me . I think the best approach is not to catch it .
Hi all, I had COVID back in March and had a persistent cough afterwards. I tried PowerBreathe and for me, using it, helped get rid of my cough and felt like my lungs opened again. I still don’t feel 100% every day but find when my chest is tight that exercising gets rid of this. Hope this helps
Yo Dylan. Can you maybe do a revised video now that we're more than a year down the line since you did this one? Hopefully there's more information out there now. I just tested positive today, and am freaking out a bit to how it will affect my cycling, training, performance long term and when and how to get back into training. Cheers, keep up the good work.
I strongly recommend getting an ECG at a minimum before training hard if you had Covid19. I'm not a physician but I teach physiology at a medical school. There is a risk for weird potentially fatal arythmias if there was myocarditis-induced fibrosis.
There's no reason for me to believe that this would be the case with Covid. In my opinion the issue is looking and measuring with laserfocus whereas if it was influenza nobody would care. I do understand the proposed mechanism of endothelitis due to the endothelium having a lot of ace2 receptors, but i think its all bollocks tbh. Imho its a case of medical neurosis nothing more. I've read probably every important study on the topic since january. There is so much utterly ridiculous and crap science circulating i don't know if to hysterically laugh or cry.
I could explain my opinion but almost impossible in a YT comment. Id have to dissect the studies one by one and show why in many cases its only extreme bias leading to wanting to show something that is not there and how a great number can be falsified with certainty.
Here is a balanced review for a lay audience that appeared in Science. www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/evidence-builds-covid-19-can-damage-heart-doctors-are-racing-understand-it The numbers of patients in these studies are pretty small but even so, there a substantial differences in the underlying cell biology of influenza and SARS-COV-2. I agree there is a ton on bad science out there about this virus, but its many effects outside the lungs are at this point very well attested.
Got it at the end of August. I had sever headache for 4 days, after that no smell/taste for 2 weeks. Tried 20min of 120W after 2 weeks from getting sick, had a headache for a whole day. Tried 120W for 20min a week later, same story. After 1 month from getting sick I slowly started with short MTB rides, then I started trying to see where the limit is and actually set a few PRs on short climbs. Now after a few weeks of hard and intense Zwift sessions I am in form of my life, so far it seems that it had no long term consequences but it definitely fucked me up for a month since contracting it.
Thank you Dylan. I just googled COVID-19 and myocarditis today and then saw your video. Trying to be smart about my return to cycling after my Covid diagnosis a few weeks ago.
Good video, although I was feeling all of my 54 years when you talked about the increased dangers with age. :) Happy to say I have avoided Covid so far
I’m currently recovering from my second round of it after getting it while in Utah for the Belgian Waffle Ride (I think we might have gotten it in a restaurant after the race). First time I got it the end of January, and it lasted nearly 2 months…..pneumonia, the whole nine yards. This time around, it was much more mild for me (thank God), but my girlfriend got it along with me in Utah and she ended up in the hospital for 7 days. The first time, I didn’t really take a lot of time off the bike, except obviously during the pneumonia part…..this time, I’ve rested more and recently gotten back on the bike, but the body dictates when I can and can’t ride. It’s a crappy virus, and seems to affect everyone differently. All I know is how it affects me and the range of symptoms it goes through…..I’ve never experienced an illness quite like it.
I had Covid mild symptons from september 28 to october 8, after that I was in self isolation for another 15 days, then I return to work and even going downstairs was making me breath heavily, now I can do all the things normal people can do, but that translates in sprints no longer than 60 seconds and then I have to go slower than my recovery pace for 15 min, or if I want to do rides longer than 45 minutes it have to be at my recovery pace, maybe a little faster. And thank's, I needed this video, my grandmother is a doctor so I was following the recovery guidelines from the beginnig, but I am going to start training soon, so just recovery rides for a while. PD: I'm from México so I didn't get a covid test but my symptons started like 4 or 5 days after working for 8 hours in a close enviroment with a coworker that days later had a positive covid test
I'm currently losing motivation to ride because I miss my friends. It really hurts. I miss them. My season was cancelled and I've just felt so lonely. Feels really bad.
I would recommend getting yourself and friends, if possible, on Zwift alongside Discord, if lockdown restrictions make it impossible to get out and about together. Group meet ups, group rides and races, all taken with a pinch of salt, might be a good option :)
You're not alone in feeling like this. I did and plenty of others are still feeling this way. If you're a member of a club then check in with them and check out group workouts on Trainer Road it has video so you can chat and watch each other suffer, or Zwift is another good option. I hope you feel better soon 😊
Get out and try it ,just educate your brain to enjoy solo cycling ,sometimes push through barriers in all walks of life ,if you are miserable at home then why not try to be less miserable on the bike
I tested positive in early October, the worst symptoms lasted about five days. After that, I thought I was fine, just sitting around, watching your great videos felt like normal. As soon though as I tried to exercise I completely unfolded, I couldn't get air in at all and would crack within a couple of kms. In addition, I find I fall asleep a lot during the day, something I've never done. I'm just starting to do longer roll outs but expect a long recovery.
I had it last August, asymptomatic. Just did bodyweight during that 10-day quarantine period and slowly getting back to training currently. I get easily fatigued now (didn't ride my bike for 3 months before getting covid) and sometimes heart/chest pain (talking to a cardiologist).
Are any of these cardiovascular irregularities tied to high systolic blood pressure? If not could you do a video on endurance sports effect on blood pressure?
Hi Dylan, how about a video on frame geometry and position on the bike for endurance racing ? (Stack/reach...) I imagine that the good compromise between an aerodynamic position and a comfortable position is hard to find
I suspect I had Covid in April, but I have yet to be tested for antibodies. Many of my work colleagues were laid low with fever and breathing difficulties, etc, whereas I just lost the top end of my breathing and had a mild headache. I was back training after a week. I am 59. At the beginning of the year my V02 Max (according to Garmin) was 60, now it is 63; and so - assuming I did have it - it does not seem to have done me any obvious harm.
My training has been very sparse for this past season.. But I had lyme disease in June (5 days of severe flu like symptoms), recovered then 2 weeks later got covid (12 days of significant fatigue and several of the other key symptoms). I went out on the MTB 3.5 wks after initially contracting covid- my avg heart rate was 175 with a 6 mile ride...
Add on stress around employment/potential job loss or decreased income and increased family stresses if you have kids doing school at home to the mental health issues you described in the video and you get a much bigger picture of our collective state of being this year (and that’s setting aside social justice and the political climate).
I was left with chest problems for months. (I was ill in March) My Dr has said that my fitness carried me through (I avoided hospital) but I experienced ongoing breathing a problem, a drop in peak flow, and low SPO2,. I am just starting to feel I can train at higher HR after sticking to zone 1/2 since I was ill
Cough, tachycardia and extreme fatigue? These are exactly the problems I have at the moment, despite enough rest and only very very short rides I am completely destroyed, I don't have sore muscles, but I can't perform at all and I cough like crazy all day long... Even the 8 km to work are extremely exhausting for me and afterwards my heart goes through the roof... Apparently I had Covid-19. I will install a larger sprocket on my single speed, because otherwise I won't get to work anymore.
Nice job Dylan! As a Frontliner (an ER RN), and cyclist, and Covid 19 survivor, I listened with a critical ear and I must say again, good job! I'm now extensively using excuse #127; thanks for that too. Can I use that as the title to my next Strava ride? I've seen how this virus affect people in varying levels from no symptoms to a slow lonely death. I got it mid March but it took me till August to feel back to myself. Personally, it's been the worst health issue I've ever had. The return to cycling was a slow buildup but I did. I'm lucky. Let's all be mindful of others. Cheers!
I got covid a month ago. I had flu-like symptoms, and 2 weeks after the main symptoms have gone away, I got back on the bike. A couple of days ago, the only symptom I had was mild chest pains when sitting. Now I feel like I've recovered completely, and I actually got a KOM on a local segment yesterday. I'm feeling good. I'm male, and I'm 19 years old.
A bizarre one for you Dylan, prior to contracting COVID, I used to often start coughing then choking until I throw up during tough rides and races, particularly in cooler weather. It really effected my training and results. After numerous test, I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis. I contracted COVID in early March and was ill for a couple of months consisting mainly of a sever cough and chronic chest pains. After about 6 weeks I was ready to resume training and noticed I was no longer suffering from this chocking problem. My FTP immediately increased by about 10 watts without any training for 6 weeks? I have had no issues ever since. I had an MRI and I no longer have bronchiectasis?? I thought I would share a positive yet bizarre story. My friend thinks I simply coughed up a fur ball. Lol
Glad you mentioned Vit D but for most of us, getting outside right now isn’t going to help. There is a huge body of evidence about Vit D and COVID and I recommend folks read up on it and consider taking a supplement. It’s cheap, safe, and very very minimal (if any) side effects. And thanks for continuing to create such good content !
I think I had it after a trip to the UK before all the travel restrictions kicked in. Admittedly I had been off the bike after a strong fall of riding (a month in France riding some epics and a nice fall here so there was lots of riding). I had moderate symptoms, fatigue, fever, chills, and some shortness of breath at night early in March. At the time testing wasn't widely available so I was never tested but several people I was in the UK with confirmed theytested positive. Once I got back on the bike this spring I was weak and my heart rate levels were significantly higher than even my last hard ride in December. The data told me I was slower at higher effort levels than rides on the same routes in the fall. During September and October of this year my hr returned to previous levels and riding stopped being a chore, but now the HR's are back up again and maximum efforts produce high heart rate levels I've never seen even at my best fitness levels. Resting is still low (in the mid 50's) but the high hr is off the chart. I've decided to back off and do zone 2 rides for awhile and see if the average hr improves. I feel like I still have lingering issued from being sick in the spring. I'm 51 and ride between 6 and 10 hours a week normally.
I got over Covid about three weeks ago. I was so sick I couldn't ride and still haven't got back into the groove. Ive went on one ride after Covid. I feel like my muscles are very week and I can't breath as well. My stamina is gone. But I don't think it will be permanent. This could set back any racer be careful.
About the loss of taste and smell, I got covid more than 2 months ago, but the smelling and tasting has not come back since. Is there info about what to do to regain the smell and taste, or do people have some experiences with this?
For me, losing smell was the worst part of covid. I smelled lemon juice, vanilla extract, coffee grounds, balsamic vinegar, ground spices like ginger and cinnamon every day until I could smell again. I got my smell and taste back in 4 weeks. I read something about "activating" or "reconnecting" the scent nerves with citrus and a few other scents. Not sure if that is what brought my smell back, but it's worth a shot.
@@NebbySpace Interesting! I read something similar about smelling essential oils, the scents they were talking about were lemon, rose, eucalyptus and clove. I've only started this about a week ago, haven't noticed any change yet but it's encouraging to hear that it helped for you!
I'm just coming off a mild case and I'm wondering how long it will take to get back. I ride 100-150mi/week and turn 58 this month. Was an elite athlete until 30 and have stayed light, fit and healthy since. Caught covid from visiting offspring 2 weeks ago. First thing of significance was a high max HR (187) during a light 15 mi ride (normally ~145). The next day, I turned back after 7mi, but hit 193, not pushing at all. Ok strength, but no wind. Since the beginning, continuing today, it feels like my lungs are 1 or 2 sizes too small. Later, cold-like symptoms (strangely 'dry'), mild lightheadedness moving, fatigue (w/deep coma sleep), complete loss of taste/smell and a slight constriction in the chest. No fever. This thing works really slowly, so it will be a couple weeks to know where I stand. A buddy my age, '92 Olympian and still fit (+60L VO2max) had a high fever for 7 days and slept for 4 recovering last week. He's as weak as a kitten. Helpful info here; thanks!
Good job on this Dylan! This being my 38th year racing, I see and experience all the mental effects you speak of. I hope with the vaccine near we will see a light at the end of the tunnel over the winter. Keep up the good work on these video's!
I was infected 4 weeks ago. Had fever for 2 days and that's it. I returned back to cycling without noticing much difference in shape. However my recovery is all messed up. Previously, next day after ride all was okay. Now legs are sore for almost 2 weeks already. And can't get back to normal :(
Hi Dylan, I would be interested in a followup given the amount of time that has passed and affects of vaccines on recovery. I have had 3 doses of Phizer and have recently gotten Covid. I had no initial symptoms then was floored when I returned to training 1 week to 10 days after.
Not enough time has passed to fully understand the long term effects of this disease. I recovered from it, but the only lingering effect is a cough that rarely happens. While others have long term fatigue long after they recover. Everyone seems to be effected different and more time is needed to fully understand the long term effects.
I had it back in March, and it took a long time to recover before I found I had enough energy to go for ride, I was hospitalised luckily not for long though - but still suffer from long haul effects, brain fog, fatigue and breathing capacity restriction . PreCovid I was very fit having done an Everest and regularly rode 300/350 kms per week. Now I’m back riding, but my FTP is down 30% , and I no longer have a zone 6 sprinting - if I sprint I have 10 to 20 second single effort then I wheeze like an 80 year old smoker ...it’s bloody annoying ! If I stay in zine 3 or 4 I can ride for a few hundred kms. I think I’m slowly getting better tiny bit by tiny bit. I believe I have permanent lung damage ...frankly it pisses me off cos precovid I was in great nick !
Get an ECG to ensure that you don't have myocarditis - speaking from personal experience, not with COVID-19 but with influenza a decade ago which left me with permanent cardiac damage and knocked ~30% off my FTP.
Thanks Dylan! Very useful video even though the scientific evidence can only be partial at this time. It may be worth to get back to this topic in a few months time.
I'm sure there's tons of studies on "regular" virus reactions, pneumonia, Wilkes-Barre (Mono), etc. It might not be as good of "bait" but better for overall health decisions moving forward? I'd be eager to watch that from a training perspective. I've had mono at 16 and flu at 36 and 49. I know those took it out of me for some time.
If you have time, can you do a video on cardiovascular drift? A friend and I are similar in age, have similar FTP and comparable race results in Zwift. A few minutes into the race, my HR immediately gets to 160 bpm. It may drift up to 165 bpm towards the end of an one hour race. However, my friend's will start around 145 and drifting to 160 bpm over time. All the while producing similar power. Is my friend in a better shape as he can produce more power at lower HR especially in the first half of the race?
Dylan, Although I have been fortunate to (thus far) avoid COVID, 2020 has been a problematic year for me. I am a 64 year old who lives in Maine with its' short cycling season due to climate. Last winter I had to deal with lymph node cancer and its' horrible collection of side effects. In June I was able to return to cycling on my road bike and eventually totaled 700 miles by November. I also run approx 18 miles a week. Although I try to view all your TH-cam videos, I must admit that I often fail to embrace all the metrics that you espouse. Considering my station in life, is this ok?
Hey Dylan, Can you do a video on the science behind pr lotion? Apparently it reduces delayed onset muscle soreness by over 50%, but I am very skeptical.
My symptoms included fever, extreme fatigue, horrible headache, and nasty cough. The acute symptoms lasted 12 days, but the cough lasted about a month and did not inhibit my training.
@@BGRANT777X the test came back negative while I was symptomatic, but I tested positive for antibodies a month later (originally, I had tested negative for antibodies). The tests aren’t always reliable, but symptoms were the real deal.
Great info, as usual, Dylan. I have a production question: do you have something set up to feed you info as you make videos? I don’t see evidence of it in your eye movement. If not, how do you keep all that info straight as you’re spitting it out rapid-fire?
Hi Dylan, Thanks for the channel, it is the best thing on youtube. I wanted to ask if by chance you could make a video on something called aerophagia. I am a triathlete, and I don't usually suffer from aerophagia while biking and using a normal water bottle. However, when on the TT bike, I use those hydration systems integrated to the bike with a straw, and that combined with the high intensity makes me swallow air. Similarly, when running at high intensity in a race, I also get aerophagia from drinking from cups or plastic bottles given in the aid station (I don't get it when using a cycling bottle, but they don't give those during running in races). The aerophagia causes the belly to feel full and get stitches, the recurrent feeling of burping (but I can't burp when going at a high intensity), and the breathing to get faster and shallower. I have checked scholarly articles about it, but I can't find much. Thank you!
Hey man thanks for ur content. Wondering if u had any scientific data regarding muscle growth and cycling. Been powerlifting fir a couple years and got into cycling this season. Plan to train on a program for both activities but dont want to lose muscle mass by “too much cardio” any advice would be much appreciated!!
Dylan, very tactful and informative presentation! 2 questions: How do you feel about singlespeed as a training tool several days a week? I live in 100 ft up down rolling terrain, hard to train for stuff like SM. Second, as a budget racer, is it possible to estimate performance gain/lost based wheel weight? Hard to justify the $$$ for some race only wheels without knowing!
This video is about to become much more relevant. Anyways, I just had omicron. Only 8 days out now, but my easy pace dropped from 180 watts to 130 watts. Havent tried intervals. Im hoping this is a transient dip
Ideas for further inquiry: How much of this would also be applicable to seasonal flu, which may, or may not have been similarly studied for its effects on athletes? And, could these long term problems actually be autoimmune over-responses related to leaky gut, pre existing chronic systemic inflammation, and other effects of the popular and highly acclaimed high-fat, animal protein based, diet? Thanks for your great work.
You are talking about 21 days of resting after getting covid in the best case scenario, why I didn't watch this video before, I got covid and return back riding after 2 weeks
I got it, or at least I think I got it. I couldn't get tested at the time, this was late February. A cold that went to my lungs, it was nothing like I'd ever experienced. Just by chance I'd nebulized l-glutathione to see it it would help me with another issue. While I was sick and it moved to my lungs I got scared, I couldn't get tested at the time. L-glutathione is the mother anti oxidant, so with the talk about vitamin c as a cure, I decided to try nebulized glutathione, and well the stiffness and pain in my chest went away. I had to do it for a few days, then the lung pain came back a week later and i nebulized some for a few days, and helped again. My vo2 max dropped about4 points, but came back very slowly. Sorry no science on this, just personal experience.
Another bit of info, my first ride after I got sick, my lungs felt like I'd smoked 10 packs of cigarettes. I stopped nebulizing because I didn't know if it contributed to the drop in vo2 max.
If you're watching and have recovered from COVID-19, let us know what your experience was like getting back to training. It'd be great to hear some firsthand accounts.
I got sick two weeks ago and today I think it will take me a month or two to get back to my previous level. I have had a fever, headache, and muscle aches. I also think that it has affected me at the respiratory level, because I get tired quickly.
Not exactly what you are looking for but I can give you my experience of not having Covid but at the time being utterly convinced I did. This was back in March, so early on when symptoms were less clear and testing wasn't an option where I live. With hindsight I either had an uncharacteristically stronger reaction to tree pollen or perhaps a mild virus at the time or even a bit of both (or perhaps neither!). Anyway, rather ridiculously, I managed to convince myself I was positive and that caused me all sorts of issues related to associated anxiety for weeks to come. Unfortunately anxiety can give you a tight test, digestion problems resulting in chest pain (heart burn) and shortness of breath, to name but a few physical symptoms. Some of these obviously overlap with Covid symptoms, particularly back then when symptoms and long term effects were less clear, and so the anxiety cycle continued - physical reactions->anxiety->physical reactions. It took me 5 weeks to get back on the bike, when I quickly realised I was perfectly capable of aerobic efforts as before (give or take the lack of fitness from 5 weeks off) and the exercise itself helped to better manage the anxiety levels and convinced my inner hyperchondriac I was fine. I have never suffered from anxiety before so the concept of physical symptoms caused by my inner feelings was one that I only slowly came round too. Even now I have almost cut out caffeine as it seems to raise my anxiety levels and in a pandemic world it seems I'm still too on the edge to tolerate it. Rather long winded but coming back to your point about mental health - it's certainly important to focus on and to be aware of the benefits of being outside and exercising as an important part of well-being. Not to mention topics less relevant to this channel such as staying away from news channels for much of the time, having a dog to walk and fuss (or other pet cuddle buddy), eating and sleeping well. Also for me just having some time alone helped too. An introvert suddenly going from plenty of alone time to never being alone in lock down life certainly didn't help any! A very interesting video, one that I'm going to endeavour to absorb...but not worry about! The only certainty is that stress and anxiety is bad for your health so time to keep calm and carry on riding 😁
I had Covid. I'm 23 years old. Fever for 3 days. In bed with no energy for about 10 days. Went for a walk after 10 days and slept for 15 hours after. Taste/smell affected for months, coming back but very slowly. I had no respiratory issues. My dad got it from me and was hospitalised but thankfully he has recovered with no lasting problems. I got it in March, since then my fitness has improved and I think I hit an all time peak fitness in September. Glad I could recover but Covid is no joke! Sleepless nights hearing my dad struggling to breathe downstairs.
I'm going through full on symptomatic covid rn - fever, coughing, nausea, muscle ache - 10 days and counting. Even walking feels strenuous for now - I'm watching my SpOx and RHR and these seems to be holding fine for now. I'll post some post-covid workout results as soon as I'm in condition to do so.
I'm 22 years old. Covid positive 2 weeks ago with onset of mild symptoms occurring then. The 1st week was was tough, sore throat, headaches, high levels of fatigue and runny nose. This subsided by the end of the week. The 2nd week I felt much better and was back to 95% health by the end. Some runny nose lingering still and some loss in cardiovascular health. Started cycling again exactly 2 weeks from start of my covid with an easy hour ride and plan to do only 50% of my usual mileage this week
Dylan I am a 55 year old MTB marathon rider that on a earlier video asked you about a fully or a hard tail. In April I had covid and was quite sick for 2 weeks. Actually really sick. Two weeks later I started riding again and my FTP was back to 310, my previous best 4 months later. So for those worried about it it might give some hope.
Way to go Bob, and that is a great FTP!
basically just rested for 2 weeks
Dylan, I can’t thank you enough for the scientific approach you’re promoting in this video, that’s simply what we need.
I got COVID during the very early stages of the pandemic (I’m Italian), was awful. After just one day of very mild fever and general exhaustion my lungs began to burn like I never experienced before, day and night, and every breath was followed by cough. Symptoms lasted 5 days and the evening of the 4th one I began questioning myself if it was all gonna end well since I was almost struggling to breathe and going upstairs wasn’t so easy anymore. Luckily overnight the situation turned in my favour and the burn lasted for just one more day. The doctor was throwing every drug he could at me but nothing was having effect.
I could hit the road again roughly 3 weeks after symptoms ended, when I tested negative. Surprisingly I found no particular difference in fitness except the normal drop you have to expect when off training for 1 month.
Lesson learned: never take your health for granted, no matter what your age is or how fit you’re. Surprisingly, mom and dad got it too and barely had symptoms, being both 53.
By reference, I’m 22, when younger got to the national cross country running championship. Now I’m studying engineering and cycling due to a recent knee injury that definitely cast me away from running (yeah, 2020 was definitely my year).
I hate to be the pedantic guy, but since that experience I chose not to roll the dice with COVID ever again, and I feel you shouldn't too.
Amen brother.
Forza Fabio!
Tested positive on 8/13/20. Had a moderate time with it. No hospitalization. The major lasting side effect I have is nerve damage to my ears. 55% hearing loss in right ear and now a constant ringing. Being seen now by an ear specialist. Outlook for the ringing to go away isn’t good.
My wife’s had similar problems - I had no idea COVID could effect the hearing! She also has developed tinnitus!
@@mikeclements4548 how is she dealing with it?
It comes and goes - sometimes muffled hearing, aching and ringing is bad the gets better. We’re waiting on an appointment with ENT specialist.
Great topic. While riding in a group might not put you at risk, stopping at a cafe mid ride and crowding a small establishment might. Sometimes is the little details that we fail to acknowledge.
I tested positive for Covid on June 28th. My case is weird. I had a very mild case: I experienced two days of headaches, 1 day of weird smell and taste, and 3 nights where I had a 100 degree fever that was gone by the morning.
I had just crushed a 3 week block and did 60 hours over those three weeks, and tested positive on the Friday of my rest week. My FTP was ~340 watts, and when I tried riding again it was a struggle to noodle around at 180-200 watts. My lungs felt heavy, and my heart rate was sky high. It wasn’t fun to watch the fitness I worked hard for go down the drain.
This went on for 2.5 months where I kept my volume low and planned on riding easy until I felt better again. Eventually I just took an entire month off of the bike at that point (September).
I just started riding again two weeks ago, and my legs feel good. I’m able to do some quality aerobic rides, and have been able to do some 10-14 hour weeks. It’s definitely not how long I planned on being down with it, and it really surprised me because of how mild my symptoms were.
If this gives you any motivation to take those extra precautions, it’ll make me glad! The only two places I would have contracted it was from my apartment key fob pad or door handles, or the grocery store. While I was lucky on a mild case, it really killed everything I worked for. :(
Nice FTP tho :)
I got a similar case, ten days of very mild symptons, I didn't have fever or taste and smell loss at any time, and all my fitness is lost, the only thing different is that I have it at the end of September so I'm still having low performance for a month or two more
A similar case here. Definitely not fun to watch all the fitness gained in months/years down the drain.
Tested positive on Nov 10, very mild symptoms thankfully, not such a high FTP like yours, but a decent 280W for me which was my all-time high, being 41 yrs myself, I was very proud of how hard I had worked for it, and was very confident I was on the right track to keep improving that number in the following months.
Pretty much like yourself, I did my longest ride of the year the weekend before I tested positive with a 100mi ride with some 13,100ft of climbing, my all-time best performance, period. Felt amazingly good, I was so excited to keep going with my training. I had a soar muscle feeling for a couple of days, never had a fever, but felt some chest discomfort at times, and lots of anxiety kicked in and had a lot of trouble getting some quality sleep for a few days, and even tried to put a few rides on my trainer about a week after my first symptoms.
I did a workout at my 170-180 watt warming up pace for about 20-30min every day I felt like doing some physical activity during the next week, until after four days in, I noticed my heart rate unusually high for the effort and, it kept like that for longer than normal after I even stopped pedalling and got off my bike. One of the days I cramped like crazy on my lower back and my thighs, to the point at I could not pedal anymore. At this point I`m beginning to think that trying to excercise in those conditions was not a very good idea.
Stopped all physical activity after that and went to look for further advice and a deeper evaluation on the condition of heart and lungs after three weeks from my initial symptoms. My heart turned out ok with no trace of damage or miocarditis risk due to inflammation thankfully, but my lungs showed some traces of a mild pneumonia, which came in as a surprise to me considering I did not feel any severe symptoms whatsoever.
I was advised to resume training gradually without forcing my body in any way, until things start feeling like getting to normal, and I must say, almost 4 weeks in after my first symptoms and I`m having the same sensations JB reports here, heavy lungs, legs feel wobbly, very elevated heart rate, and so on. Is going to take some serious patience here. I know I will be back at where I was, I just don`t know how long will it take.
I know I don`t speak only for myself when I say training on my bike is one of the most important if not the most important activity for my anxiety and my stress management, and for finding balance in life in general, to have that taken away, even for a short period of time, is not fun. I`ve been focusing on the positive aspects of having had the best of lucks on how I managed to deal with these disease, and feeling fine physically, despite the fact that I have not been able to go back to riding my bike like I used to.
I definitively advise anyone looking to resume physical activity post-covid, to take a deeper look with a physician into the shape of your heart and lungs in order to dismiss any potential risks, as Dylan mentions here, maybe the best way to go is to definitively stop any activity, for a while. The guidelines Dylan lays out make a lot of sense, but every individual reacts and adapts differently.
The best thing is to keep safe and away as much as possible from the dangers of getting infected.
Cheers to everyone, and be thankful always for what you got, that includes everything, and excludes nothing, and never take anything for granted, specially your health.
@@arturosaucedo9796 Thanks for sharing your detailed and informative story. Best of luck on your recovery!
This is great, thank you. Diagnosed w Covid in early November, and am 2.5 weeks post initial symptoms. I plan to shut it down for a full two weeks after symptoms are gone, then really ease into it, low HR rides. Covid sucks short term, and long term is a big concern. Be safe, be diligent, and try to avoid Covid for yourself and your family and friends.
Man, I just love how you do like months of research for one video. Keep it up!
Had it in March, was on the bike within a few days after first sickness. I’m stronger than ever on the bike. I did lose my sense of smell and taste and smell is still jacked. I had essentially zero respiratory problems during the sickness. The worst part of it was severe fatigue and muscle aches (in the afternoon) for about 5 days. I’m 46 and an amateur road bike racer.
I had moderate symptoms from catching it about a month and a half ago. I still have some symptoms, mainly a persistent cough (only a few times a day though) and reduced lung capacity. I am sure I will be back to 100% but it just seems to take longer with COVID for me. I'm 35m in ok shape, not super fit but not overweight or anything.
@@Bakerking3 good luck. A female friend of mine, same age as me, also had more severe symptoms than I did (lasting cough and reduced lung capacity). She's pretty fit. I think she's OK by now (8 months after initially contracting)
Both of my parents (40s-50s and healthy) got sick at the same time with similar symptoms: very fatigued and achy muscles for a week but no respiratory symptoms. They swear it didn’t feel like a cold or flu but they tested negative for Covid twice. My dad also got a rash all over his body. They socially distance like crazy so it’s hard to imagine they could get a cold or flu while wearing masks and socially distancing during September
It's glad to know that in the medium term things are going to get better for the ones that got Covid, I had it at the end of september and haven't fully recovered from it, my fitnes level is now the one of a normal person but that's very far away from how I was pre-covid
I'm glad you made mention "When deciding to participate in a group ride, you should take into account if ...>>>you are in contact with other people who are in a high-risk category.
Didn’t the CDC come out and say the asymptomatic transmission is very very rare though?
@@SuperJimic "The frequency and infectivity of asymptomatically infected persons are the main reasons why COVID-19 has become a pandemic" and "The current perception of asymptomatic infections does not provide clear guidance for public health measures. As asymptomatic and presymptomatic infections are not distinguishable at first sight, they may pose a significant threat to public health during the unlocking of lockdown strategies currently being implemented in many countries." International Journal of Infectious Disease published Nov 2020
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7470698/
@@ronwolfept fair enough and thank you. I’ll read through these.
@@SuperJimic Yes, they did. But they also told us not to wear masks at first, so they certainly may have walked that back.
There is a Team GB Olympic rower who has barely been able to get off the couch since getting Covid in the spring, almost no ability to train in 6 months. The chance of long Covid is the main thing that scares me about the virus
I agree. When you look at the articles about how exactly the disease progresses and damages the vascular system, it's a really worrisome disease with a lot of potential long-term effects. I've heard more than one story of someone that's so tired that even standing up long enough to take a shower is basically impossible. Walking for 15 minutes becomes a long-term fitness goal. (Interestingly, many of these long-term symptoms are similar to those of people I know who have suffered extremely severe concussions.)
@M N I know 20+ people who have all had it without issue, it's the seemingly random chance of long Covid that scares me
@@chrismccarter6875 you also have a 30% chance of dying of cancer and a 40% chance of dying of a heart attack.... oh and a 30% chance of dying of something else.
@@maxe2820 but non of them are contagious, I don't want to risk all the effort of my training contracting something that is avoidable
Great content, and extra kudos for making it about a current topic!
Good info. I'm impressed by your ability to come up with new and relevant content.
You touched upon many things and something people need to hear. Great job and thank you for touching upon the psychological impacts as well as the physical.
An update Vid would be absolutely great
I got Covid in early November. My symptoms were mild comparatively (tired, cough, lightheaded, lost taste and smell). My symptoms were SO up and down, you'd feel great one minute and shitty the next. My biggest fear was getting others sick honestly...
The dizziness is what affected me the longest, it makes you tired, unmotivated and lethargic, I was a little worried getting on a bike might make me ill again? Take recovery seriously is my take away.
Took off a few weeks from cycling, but I took it easy upon my return as per my Dr.. I felt great on my first ride and never looked back!
Not sure I had it in june but coming back from a mountain bike ride and the last 5 miles left I became very lethargic and feeling a bit nauseous and struggled to make it home . Once home I passed out for hours and developed a dry cough . After a few days I felt better . After about a month I struggled to pedal and my endurance was at very low levels After 4 months I feel close to normal now . I am close to 60 . Now before symptoms appeared I was riding allot and could have had a massive bonk or picked up something on the trail as valley fever is present in my area . I hopped back on the bike fairly quickly but took it very light and let my body guide me . I think the best approach is not to catch it .
Hi all, I had COVID back in March and had a persistent cough afterwards. I tried PowerBreathe and for me, using it, helped get rid of my cough and felt like my lungs opened again. I still don’t feel 100% every day but find when my chest is tight that exercising gets rid of this. Hope this helps
Yo Dylan. Can you maybe do a revised video now that we're more than a year down the line since you did this one? Hopefully there's more information out there now. I just tested positive today, and am freaking out a bit to how it will affect my cycling, training, performance long term and when and how to get back into training. Cheers, keep up the good work.
I strongly recommend getting an ECG at a minimum before training hard if you had Covid19. I'm not a physician but I teach physiology at a medical school. There is a risk for weird potentially fatal arythmias if there was myocarditis-induced fibrosis.
There's no reason for me to believe that this would be the case with Covid. In my opinion the issue is looking and measuring with laserfocus whereas if it was influenza nobody would care. I do understand the proposed mechanism of endothelitis due to the endothelium having a lot of ace2 receptors, but i think its all bollocks tbh. Imho its a case of medical neurosis nothing more. I've read probably every important study on the topic since january. There is so much utterly ridiculous and crap science circulating i don't know if to hysterically laugh or cry.
I could explain my opinion but almost impossible in a YT comment. Id have to dissect the studies one by one and show why in many cases its only extreme bias leading to wanting to show something that is not there and how a great number can be falsified with certainty.
Here is a balanced review for a lay audience that appeared in Science. www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/evidence-builds-covid-19-can-damage-heart-doctors-are-racing-understand-it
The numbers of patients in these studies are pretty small but even so, there a substantial differences in the underlying cell biology of influenza and SARS-COV-2. I agree there is a ton on bad science out there about this virus, but its many effects outside the lungs are at this point very well attested.
Here is another review. I stand by my initial comment. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7199677/
Thank you so much for your effort in making these videos. Love the content. Greetings from Europe.
Thank you Dylan. I was really hoping you'd cover this topic.
Got it at the end of August. I had sever headache for 4 days, after that no smell/taste for 2 weeks. Tried 20min of 120W after 2 weeks from getting sick, had a headache for a whole day. Tried 120W for 20min a week later, same story. After 1 month from getting sick I slowly started with short MTB rides, then I started trying to see where the limit is and actually set a few PRs on short climbs. Now after a few weeks of hard and intense Zwift sessions I am in form of my life, so far it seems that it had no long term consequences but it definitely fucked me up for a month since contracting it.
Thank you Dylan. I just googled COVID-19 and myocarditis today and then saw your video. Trying to be smart about my return to cycling after my Covid diagnosis a few weeks ago.
Good video, although I was feeling all of my 54 years when you talked about the increased dangers with age. :) Happy to say I have avoided Covid so far
I’m currently recovering from my second round of it after getting it while in Utah for the Belgian Waffle Ride (I think we might have gotten it in a restaurant after the race). First time I got it the end of January, and it lasted nearly 2 months…..pneumonia, the whole nine yards. This time around, it was much more mild for me (thank God), but my girlfriend got it along with me in Utah and she ended up in the hospital for 7 days. The first time, I didn’t really take a lot of time off the bike, except obviously during the pneumonia part…..this time, I’ve rested more and recently gotten back on the bike, but the body dictates when I can and can’t ride. It’s a crappy virus, and seems to affect everyone differently. All I know is how it affects me and the range of symptoms it goes through…..I’ve never experienced an illness quite like it.
I had Covid mild symptons from september 28 to october 8, after that I was in self isolation for another 15 days, then I return to work and even going downstairs was making me breath heavily, now I can do all the things normal people can do, but that translates in sprints no longer than 60 seconds and then I have to go slower than my recovery pace for 15 min, or if I want to do rides longer than 45 minutes it have to be at my recovery pace, maybe a little faster.
And thank's, I needed this video, my grandmother is a doctor so I was following the recovery guidelines from the beginnig, but I am going to start training soon, so just recovery rides for a while.
PD: I'm from México so I didn't get a covid test but my symptons started like 4 or 5 days after working for 8 hours in a close enviroment with a coworker that days later had a positive covid test
I'm currently losing motivation to ride because I miss my friends. It really hurts. I miss them. My season was cancelled and I've just felt so lonely. Feels really bad.
I would recommend getting yourself and friends, if possible, on Zwift alongside Discord, if lockdown restrictions make it impossible to get out and about together. Group meet ups, group rides and races, all taken with a pinch of salt, might be a good option :)
You're not alone in feeling like this. I did and plenty of others are still feeling this way. If you're a member of a club then check in with them and check out group workouts on Trainer Road it has video so you can chat and watch each other suffer, or Zwift is another good option.
I hope you feel better soon 😊
Riding your bike should be something you enjoy regardless of group rides.
I love solo rides, which are 99% of the time.
Why not ride with them? The risk of getting sick outside is minimal
Get out and try it ,just educate your brain to enjoy solo cycling ,sometimes push through barriers in all walks of life ,if you are miserable at home then why not try to be less miserable on the bike
I tested positive in early October, the worst symptoms lasted about five days. After that, I thought I was fine, just sitting around, watching your great videos felt like normal. As soon though as I tried to exercise I completely unfolded, I couldn't get air in at all and would crack within a couple of kms. In addition, I find I fall asleep a lot during the day, something I've never done. I'm just starting to do longer roll outs but expect a long recovery.
Let's stop for a moment and say how much I appreciate your work! Again some great video
as a physician I appreciate this Thanks
I had it last August, asymptomatic. Just did bodyweight during that 10-day quarantine period and slowly getting back to training currently. I get easily fatigued now (didn't ride my bike for 3 months before getting covid) and sometimes heart/chest pain (talking to a cardiologist).
I had a really bad case, recovered slowly, and eventually did a solo ironman. No problem!
Very well done Dylan. Exceptionally professional. Thank you.
Are any of these cardiovascular irregularities tied to high systolic blood pressure? If not could you do a video on endurance sports effect on blood pressure?
Brilliant content and informative videos. Would it be possible to make a video about dealing with injuries and recovering from them?
Hi Dylan, how about a video on frame geometry and position on the bike for endurance racing ? (Stack/reach...) I imagine that the good compromise between an aerodynamic position and a comfortable position is hard to find
truly helpful.
re: group rides, or even just two riders and the need to wear a mask, given the draft vortex is greater than "social distance"
Thank you for the video - great as always - love this channel!
I suspect I had Covid in April, but I have yet to be tested for antibodies. Many of my work colleagues were laid low with fever and breathing difficulties, etc, whereas I just lost the top end of my breathing and had a mild headache. I was back training after a week. I am 59. At the beginning of the year my V02 Max (according to Garmin) was 60, now it is 63; and so - assuming I did have it - it does not seem to have done me any obvious harm.
My training has been very sparse for this past season.. But I had lyme disease in June (5 days of severe flu like symptoms), recovered then 2 weeks later got covid (12 days of significant fatigue and several of the other key symptoms). I went out on the MTB 3.5 wks after initially contracting covid- my avg heart rate was 175 with a 6 mile ride...
Add on stress around employment/potential job loss or decreased income and increased family stresses if you have kids doing school at home to the mental health issues you described in the video and you get a much bigger picture of our collective state of being this year (and that’s setting aside social justice and the political climate).
I was left with chest problems for months. (I was ill in March) My Dr has said that my fitness carried me through (I avoided hospital) but I experienced ongoing breathing a problem, a drop in peak flow, and low SPO2,. I am just starting to feel I can train at higher HR after sticking to zone 1/2 since I was ill
Thanks for the hard work!
Very interesting and brilliant to have such niche research consolidated in one video!
I had covid back in July and appreciate the video
Thanks a lot for this video. I watched it when it first came out but it is more pertinent now after getting my positive test back today.
Cough, tachycardia and extreme fatigue? These are exactly the problems I have at the moment, despite enough rest and only very very short rides I am completely destroyed, I don't have sore muscles, but I can't perform at all and I cough like crazy all day long... Even the 8 km to work are extremely exhausting for me and afterwards my heart goes through the roof...
Apparently I had Covid-19. I will install a larger sprocket on my single speed, because otherwise I won't get to work anymore.
Sorry to hear that :(. Probably best to not ride to work if you have another means of getting there
@@Montezuma0 Not really! :D
Nice job Dylan! As a Frontliner (an ER RN), and cyclist, and Covid 19 survivor, I listened with a critical ear and I must say again, good job! I'm now extensively using excuse #127; thanks for that too. Can I use that as the title to my next Strava ride? I've seen how this virus affect people in varying levels from no symptoms to a slow lonely death. I got it mid March but it took me till August to feel back to myself. Personally, it's been the worst health issue I've ever had. The return to cycling was a slow buildup but I did. I'm lucky. Let's all be mindful of others. Cheers!
I got covid a month ago. I had flu-like symptoms, and 2 weeks after the main symptoms have gone away, I got back on the bike. A couple of days ago, the only symptom I had was mild chest pains when sitting. Now I feel like I've recovered completely, and I actually got a KOM on a local segment yesterday. I'm feeling good. I'm male, and I'm 19 years old.
my mental health has took a bit of a nose dive so not been out as much
Sorry to hear it. Get out by yourself as much as you can, and just get some sun and air. Hang in there.
Another great video!
Really good information, thanks!
A bizarre one for you Dylan, prior to contracting COVID, I used to often start coughing then choking until I throw up during tough rides and races, particularly in cooler weather. It really effected my training and results. After numerous test, I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis. I contracted COVID in early March and was ill for a couple of months consisting mainly of a sever cough and chronic chest pains. After about 6 weeks I was ready to resume training and noticed I was no longer suffering from this chocking problem. My FTP immediately increased by about 10 watts without any training for 6 weeks? I have had no issues ever since. I had an MRI and I no longer have bronchiectasis?? I thought I would share a positive yet bizarre story. My friend thinks I simply coughed up a fur ball. Lol
hahahahahahahaha hilarious but inspirational story¡¡¡¡
Is it my ad block or was this video so accurate and objective that even youtube didn't want to slap a CDC banner on the page? lol
Glad you mentioned Vit D but for most of us, getting outside right now isn’t going to help. There is a huge body of evidence about Vit D and COVID and I recommend folks read up on it and consider taking a supplement. It’s cheap, safe, and very very minimal (if any) side effects. And thanks for continuing to create such good content !
be aware though that there is some scientific evidence about artery-related calcification problems with long-term Vitamin D consumption.
@@arturosaucedo9796 Do you have a link to the studies?
Excellent as always. Great info.
I think I had it after a trip to the UK before all the travel restrictions kicked in. Admittedly I had been off the bike after a strong fall of riding (a month in France riding some epics and a nice fall here so there was lots of riding). I had moderate symptoms, fatigue, fever, chills, and some shortness of breath at night early in March. At the time testing wasn't widely available so I was never tested but several people I was in the UK with confirmed theytested positive. Once I got back on the bike this spring I was weak and my heart rate levels were significantly higher than even my last hard ride in December. The data told me I was slower at higher effort levels than rides on the same routes in the fall.
During September and October of this year my hr returned to previous levels and riding stopped being a chore, but now the HR's are back up again and maximum efforts produce high heart rate levels I've never seen even at my best fitness levels. Resting is still low (in the mid 50's) but the high hr is off the chart. I've decided to back off and do zone 2 rides for awhile and see if the average hr improves. I feel like I still have lingering issued from being sick in the spring. I'm 51 and ride between 6 and 10 hours a week normally.
where can i buy that hyper-game-beast-mode drink
I got over Covid about three weeks ago. I was so sick I couldn't ride and still haven't got back into the groove. Ive went on one ride after Covid. I feel like my muscles are very week and I can't breath as well. My stamina is gone. But I don't think it will be permanent. This could set back any racer be careful.
Great quality content, as I've come to expect from you. Thanks
Dylan, how do you explore all that studies? Can you share some methods of searching needed researches?
About the loss of taste and smell, I got covid more than 2 months ago, but the smelling and tasting has not come back since. Is there info about what to do to regain the smell and taste, or do people have some experiences with this?
For me, losing smell was the worst part of covid. I smelled lemon juice, vanilla extract, coffee grounds, balsamic vinegar, ground spices like ginger and cinnamon every day until I could smell again. I got my smell and taste back in 4 weeks. I read something about "activating" or "reconnecting" the scent nerves with citrus and a few other scents. Not sure if that is what brought my smell back, but it's worth a shot.
@@NebbySpace Interesting! I read something similar about smelling essential oils, the scents they were talking about were lemon, rose, eucalyptus and clove. I've only started this about a week ago, haven't noticed any change yet but it's encouraging to hear that it helped for you!
@@5Vincent33 I hope your smell returns swiftly.
I'm just coming off a mild case and I'm wondering how long it will take to get back. I ride 100-150mi/week and turn 58 this month. Was an elite athlete until 30 and have stayed light, fit and healthy since. Caught covid from visiting offspring 2 weeks ago. First thing of significance was a high max HR (187) during a light 15 mi ride (normally ~145). The next day, I turned back after 7mi, but hit 193, not pushing at all. Ok strength, but no wind. Since the beginning, continuing today, it feels like my lungs are 1 or 2 sizes too small. Later, cold-like symptoms (strangely 'dry'), mild lightheadedness moving, fatigue (w/deep coma sleep), complete loss of taste/smell and a slight constriction in the chest. No fever. This thing works really slowly, so it will be a couple weeks to know where I stand. A buddy my age, '92 Olympian and still fit (+60L VO2max) had a high fever for 7 days and slept for 4 recovering last week. He's as weak as a kitten. Helpful info here; thanks!
I am so happy you made yet another video allknowing guru. Now let's push out 5.3 watt/kg for some hours. #getthepowermeterwhichworks
Good job on this Dylan! This being my 38th year racing, I see and experience all the mental effects you speak of. I hope with the vaccine near we will see a light at the end of the tunnel over the winter. Keep up the good work on these video's!
Hey Dylan, have you tried the White Rim trail Fastest time in Utah? Do you think you can break it?
I was infected 4 weeks ago. Had fever for 2 days and that's it. I returned back to cycling without noticing much difference in shape. However my recovery is all messed up. Previously, next day after ride all was okay. Now legs are sore for almost 2 weeks already. And can't get back to normal :(
Thanks for the info!
Finally a video that makes sense and is based on facts instead of fear!
Hi Dylan,
I would be interested in a followup given the amount of time that has passed and affects of vaccines on recovery. I have had 3 doses of Phizer and have recently gotten Covid. I had no initial symptoms then was floored when I returned to training 1 week to 10 days after.
Not enough time has passed to fully understand the long term effects of this disease. I recovered from it, but the only lingering effect is a cough that rarely happens. While others have long term fatigue long after they recover. Everyone seems to be effected different and more time is needed to fully understand the long term effects.
Excellent info, really appreciate your scientific bibliography 👊🏽
I had it back in March, and it took a long time to recover before I found I had enough energy to go for ride, I was hospitalised luckily not for long though - but still suffer from long haul effects, brain fog, fatigue and breathing capacity restriction . PreCovid I was very fit having done an Everest and regularly rode 300/350 kms per week.
Now I’m back riding, but my FTP is down 30% , and I no longer have a zone 6 sprinting - if I sprint I have 10 to 20 second single effort then I wheeze like an 80 year old smoker ...it’s bloody annoying ! If I stay in zine 3 or 4 I can ride for a few hundred kms. I think I’m slowly getting better tiny bit by tiny bit. I believe I have permanent lung damage ...frankly it pisses me off cos precovid I was in great nick !
Get an ECG to ensure that you don't have myocarditis - speaking from personal experience, not with COVID-19 but with influenza a decade ago which left me with permanent cardiac damage and knocked ~30% off my FTP.
Thanks Dylan! Very useful video even though the scientific evidence can only be partial at this time. It may be worth to get back to this topic in a few months time.
I'm sure there's tons of studies on "regular" virus reactions, pneumonia, Wilkes-Barre (Mono), etc. It might not be as good of "bait" but better for overall health decisions moving forward? I'd be eager to watch that from a training perspective. I've had mono at 16 and flu at 36 and 49. I know those took it out of me for some time.
If you have time, can you do a video on cardiovascular drift? A friend and I are similar in age, have similar FTP and comparable race results in Zwift. A few minutes into the race, my HR immediately gets to 160 bpm. It may drift up to 165 bpm towards the end of an one hour race. However, my friend's will start around 145 and drifting to 160 bpm over time. All the while producing similar power. Is my friend in a better shape as he can produce more power at lower HR especially in the first half of the race?
Dylan,
Although I have been fortunate to (thus far) avoid COVID, 2020 has been a problematic year for me. I am a 64 year old who lives in Maine with its' short cycling season due to climate. Last winter I had to deal with lymph node cancer and its' horrible collection of side effects. In June I was able to return to cycling on my road bike and eventually totaled 700 miles by November. I also run approx 18 miles a week. Although I try to view all your TH-cam videos, I must admit that I often fail to embrace all the metrics that you espouse. Considering my station in life, is this ok?
I had flu in 2017 and it knocked my performance for several months. This covid long term outcome doesn't surprise me at all.
Thanks for this. IMO better to err on the safe side. And I'm glad your video still reflects that.
How about making a video about the total cost range(s) of bicycle racing on amateur level?
Is there any new data in the last year that changes anything that was mentioned in this video.. ??
Hey Dylan, Can you do a video on the science behind pr lotion? Apparently it reduces delayed onset muscle soreness by over 50%, but I am very skeptical.
I did, search Amp human on my channel.
Dylan is great 👍
I had Covid in April. Blip on the radar. Fitter than ever within 4-6weeks. I’m 30 years old. And have been training since 2016.
My symptoms included fever, extreme fatigue, horrible headache, and nasty cough. The acute symptoms lasted 12 days, but the cough lasted about a month and did not inhibit my training.
Did you get a test? I know more than a few people saying they got it based on symptoms
@@BGRANT777X the test came back negative while I was symptomatic, but I tested positive for antibodies a month later (originally, I had tested negative for antibodies). The tests aren’t always reliable, but symptoms were the real deal.
@@thebutcher7000 That's fair, its two tests more than most who say they had it in the past.
Great info, as usual, Dylan. I have a production question: do you have something set up to feed you info as you make videos? I don’t see evidence of it in your eye movement. If not, how do you keep all that info straight as you’re spitting it out rapid-fire?
Hi Dylan,
Thanks for the channel, it is the best thing on youtube.
I wanted to ask if by chance you could make a video on something called aerophagia. I am a triathlete, and I don't usually suffer from aerophagia while biking and using a normal water bottle. However, when on the TT bike, I use those hydration systems integrated to the bike with a straw, and that combined with the high intensity makes me swallow air. Similarly, when running at high intensity in a race, I also get aerophagia from drinking from cups or plastic bottles given in the aid station (I don't get it when using a cycling bottle, but they don't give those during running in races). The aerophagia causes the belly to feel full and get stitches, the recurrent feeling of burping (but I can't burp when going at a high intensity), and the breathing to get faster and shallower. I have checked scholarly articles about it, but I can't find much.
Thank you!
Hey man thanks for ur content. Wondering if u had any scientific data regarding muscle growth and cycling. Been powerlifting fir a couple years and got into cycling this season. Plan to train on a program for both activities but dont want to lose muscle mass by “too much cardio” any advice would be much appreciated!!
Aero tuck with open gilet flaping all over the place - priceless :) (@0:22)
Very informative, thanks
Dylan, very tactful and informative presentation! 2 questions: How do you feel about singlespeed as a training tool several days a week? I live in 100 ft up down rolling terrain, hard to train for stuff like SM. Second, as a budget racer, is it possible to estimate performance gain/lost based wheel weight? Hard to justify the $$$ for some race only wheels without knowing!
Love the videos! Keep up the great work. Thank you for your time and effort to inform.
Does anyone know of a similar channel related to running?
Any data from SIV-09 (pig flu)? Not same scale but perhaps some insight? I had it. Be safe. -U10
This video is about to become much more relevant. Anyways, I just had omicron. Only 8 days out now, but my easy pace dropped from 180 watts to 130 watts. Havent tried intervals. Im hoping this is a transient dip
OMG 🤯 soo good topic
Any new information about this? Feel like there might be significantly new data on this question after two years.
Asking because I just got covid.
Excelente!
Ideas for further inquiry: How much of this would also be applicable to seasonal flu, which may, or may not have been similarly studied for its effects on athletes? And, could these long term problems actually be autoimmune over-responses related to leaky gut, pre existing chronic systemic inflammation, and other effects of the popular and highly acclaimed high-fat, animal protein based, diet? Thanks for your great work.
You are talking about 21 days of resting after getting covid in the best case scenario, why I didn't watch this video before, I got covid and return back riding after 2 weeks
I got it, or at least I think I got it. I couldn't get tested at the time, this was late February. A cold that went to my lungs, it was nothing like I'd ever experienced. Just by chance I'd nebulized l-glutathione to see it it would help me with another issue. While I was sick and it moved to my lungs I got scared, I couldn't get tested at the time. L-glutathione is the mother anti oxidant, so with the talk about vitamin c as a cure, I decided to try nebulized glutathione, and well the stiffness and pain in my chest went away. I had to do it for a few days, then the lung pain came back a week later and i nebulized some for a few days, and helped again. My vo2 max dropped about4 points, but came back very slowly. Sorry no science on this, just personal experience.
Another bit of info, my first ride after I got sick, my lungs felt like I'd smoked 10 packs of cigarettes. I stopped nebulizing because I didn't know if it contributed to the drop in vo2 max.