News flash: Ullrich has a cold.

[tcklyde]

Jan Ullrich. Staggering natural talent. Terrible immune system.

Cyclingnews.com

Jan Ullrich has been forced to step off the bike in his training camp in Tuscany, Italy. The German has been ill with a cold since Monday and is taking antibiotics, T-Mobile's website reports. Ullrich has been known as being susceptible to colds in early season preparations. "He will continue his training programme as soon as he's back on his feet," said T-Mobile manager Olaf Ludwig.

 

[Virenque]

He has it for a second time this season, first one was when he had to go to South Africa. That really is a weak imune system..

 

[patch70]

You'd think the team doctor would be sensible enough to know the difference between bacteria and viruses and thus not to treat a cold with antibiotics...

 

[sportzgurl]

Yes, Virenque its a really low immune system! Suspiciously low. But lets not go there with Jan!

Im not sure T-Mobile have got together with regards to thier staffing yet, so we cannot blame the doctor!

I have a small therory on this cold thing of Jans. From what I can gather you can get colds from being too cold, but you can also get them from the air around you changing temperature and your body not adjusting to it correctly. (or something like that!) If that were the case, is Jans going from southern hemisphere to northern hemisphere good for him? Summer to winter? Temp changes. Im not sure. But this cold (and other 'sicknesses') is getting just a wee bit out of control. Even though he is my favourite! I don't know. I just wish there were explainations for what Jan does. He is so.... I don't know.... all over the place!

 

[patch70]

From what I can gather you can get colds from being too cold, but you can also get them from the air around you changing temperature and your body not adjusting to it correctly. (or something like that!)

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have to come into contact with a virus!!! The temperature - either ambient or body - has nothing to do with it.

The travel may have something to do with it in that aeroplanes are a good place to come into contact with cold viruses.

 

[tcklyde]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have to come into contact with a virus!!! The temperature - either ambient or body - has nothing to do with it.

The travel may have something to do with it in that aeroplanes are a good place to come into contact with cold viruses.

Err, well, does only to the extent that your body's reaction to temperature effects your immune system's strength.

But whatever it is, Ulle seems to be clearly susceptible to illness. What's the deal? Is this an excuse for something else? To me, there seems to be some sort of story here. I mean, he says illness affected him during the first half of Tour 2004. And the constant "colds" are always interupting his training. To put it bluntly: huh?

 

[patch70]

I mean, he says illness affected him during the first half of Tour 2004. And the constant "colds" are always interupting his training. To put it bluntly: huh?

Maybe I am being a bit presumptive, but when I have worked in sports med, the elite athletes tended to be totally obsessed with every little twinge and sniffle that might possibly stop them being at their peak. Maybe we are just made more aware of his minor illnesses because of his profile?

 

[patch70]

Err, well, does only to the extent that your body's reaction to temperature effects your immune system's strength.

You have to work pretty damn hard to lower your body's core temperature to the extent that your immune system is weaker. And even then, you still have to come into contact with a virus in order to catch a cold. When you have a fever, your immune system is up-regulated (ie works a bit better).

 

[baileyj]

doesn't have a low body fat like im sure many of these professionals have weaken your immune system than say somebody with a 8%-12% bodyfat.
I have some body building friends in the below 5% bf range and they seem to get colds more often when they are trying to stay at that level. That is why they don't keep their body fat that low.
I could be wrong though. But it does seem like Jan is sick a lot.

 

[antone]

You have to work pretty damn hard to lower your body's core temperature to the extent that your immune system is weaker. And even then, you still have to come into contact with a virus in order to catch a cold. When you have a fever, your immune system is up-regulated (ie works a bit better).

Patch, YOU ARE THE MAN! A young man, but you know what you are talking about.

 

[ElRamon]

Changes in outside/external temperature will affect the immune system, in that they are stressors. And in an already stressed body ie one that is training hard it wont take much to push it over the edge.

As you say patch- You have to work pretty hard to lower core temperature - that's because the body works hard to maintain it.

And working hard to maintain the core temperature, and bring the various adaptations into play, is a stress to the system, albeit a small one.

We come into contact with viri all of all of the time. The body will normally deal with them without us knowing. They are opportunistic and a weakened immune system is their opportunity

 

[patch70]

Changes in outside/external temperature will affect the immune system, in that they are stressors. And in an already stressed body ie one that is training hard it wont take much to push it over the edge.

Perhaps you could come up with a (scientific) reference to back up such a statement.

 

[ElRamon]

What, that stress affects the immune system?

 

[birdman23]

What, that stress affects the immune system?

Stress definitely affects the immune system. I am going to catch **** for this next statement but oh well, it's just a thought people. Could his immune system be adversely affected by PED's?

 

[ElRamon]

I'm sorry what are PED's?

I'm not very good with TLA's

 

[birdman23]

I'm sorry what are PED's?

I'm not very good with TLA's

LOL. I guess I am not very good either 'cause I don't know what TLA's are. Ha ha. PED = Performance enhancing drugs

 

[ElRamon]

TLA = three letter acronym


Not very performance enhancing if they give him a cold!

 

[birdman23]

TLA = three letter acronym


Not very performance enhancing if they give him a cold!

Lol. THanks. I don't know a lot about the subject but I was wondering if PED's can lower the immune system making a person more susceptible to sickness. A few other posters sort of hinted at this earlier in the thread.

 

[patch70]

Could his immune system be adversely affected by PED's?

Some riders use corticosteroids as PED's. (This was what Lance was caught for having in his system but claimed it was due to a steroid cream for saddle sores - in ?1999). In the types of doses used for a performance enhancement, these are definitely immune suppressing. Common examples of corticosteroids are prednisolone or prednisone, cortisone, hydrocortisone, dexamethasone, beclomethasone, betamethasone and others. Prednis(ol)one is the one used most commonly for medical conditions eg Lupus, severe rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis but is not used much by cyclists.

 

[patch70]

What, that stress affects the immune system?

Define stress though. Minor changes in body temperatures are not a stress on the body - give the body a bit more credit. We can go from -30 to +40 degrees Celsius and the core body temperature won't change and more than it normally does between the morning (lower temp) and the evening (higher temp).

Just about everyone is under some form of "stress", either physical or mental, but most do not get some form of disease from it. Lots of people will blame "stress" for an illness but that does not mean it is the cause. It is a convenient thing to blame, both for patients, their families and their doctors. It is like saying that cold weather caused a cold or a pneumonia - it is an old wives' tale and is not based on any scientific evidence.

A very stressed person will still have the same levels of "stress hormones" (such as cortisol) as someone who is relaxed.