Training / Health: Sore Throat / Inflammation of the throat due to Indoor training - Your experience

Hi there,

I am now biking for several years, following structured training for 3 years with the last two TR Indoor training.

Since I started training indoors I have developed problems with my throat quite regulary (felt sore, disappeared soon after backing of from Indoor riding). The last couple of months the problems increased into inflammations of the throat (2nd time now this year) and I have to give up training for some longer period each time (visit a physician for adequate advise).

My physician says this may be related to indoor training (northern hemisphere, so winter now here with low humidity indoors and a fan blowing directly onto upper body, upper legs including face and extensive breathing).
In the past I already reduced the fans (from two to one on lowest level, works fine for my workouts). I also plan to position it that way it will just cover upper body and some leg area with excluding the face. Maybe I will also put some water tank on the heater to increase humidity.
I also try to drink as much as I feel like and the workouts allow (not possible during VO2Max-Intervalls). Maybe try some kind of throat lozenge?
Also following TR in-ride-instructions for breathing - maybe there is some room for alterations?

What is your experience? Encounterd same problem and how did / do you address it? Thanks!

Summary of advices below (last update: 19Mar2019)

  • wear a buff indoors
  • temperature not too low
  • low speed fan
  • use a towel to dry your chest during rest periods
  • change jerseys
  • open the shirt during the repetitions and close it again during rest periods
  • drink a lot
  • take a shower immediately, just finished
  • check if allergic to dust
  • avoid getting “dirty” air directly into your face (clean fan or get one with air purifying)
  • try getting the air flow directly away from the nose and mouth and increasing the humidity a bit
  • check airconditioning/dehumidifiers while you sleep or workplace environments
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I’m not kiddin, I wear a buff indoors. I have 2 to 3 fans directed on me and had some problems in the past as well.

My wife’s a doctor she told me someting about laminar flow and local temperature drop around the throat where a lot of bugs reside. Don’t recall exactly but I have no reason to distrust her.

Zero problems since I have something around the throat.

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@sryke Thx, will try the Buffs as I have three of them here. You most probably change them during a workout as they will get soaked up wet quickly?

I’ve never had problems like this.
I think the usual rules apply:

  • temperature not too low: I have 19C in my home, better never below 14-15C
  • low speed fan: I use the fan function of my air conditioner (no cooling)
  • use a towel to dry your chest during rest periods
  • open the shirt during the repetitions and close it again during rest periods
  • drink a lot
  • take a shower immediately, just finished

I had this problem turns out i was allergic to dust. Been using nasal sprays and it has gotten better.

actually not, probably due to my three fans

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@jacknipper
Thats what I usually do (except with immediate shower due to post-workout sweating, but I change clothes and dry up directly after the workout). In addition, I also change the jersey during the workout, so it should be all fine (in theory).

@Saganoky
Thats a point worth investigating further, thanks. What kind of nasal spray are you using?

Try getting the air flow directly away from the nose and mouth and increasing the humidity a bit. If you have a way to check the rooms humidity that could be helpful. Basements and garages (places where we generally train) can be much drier than other parts of the house, especially if there is exposed concrete.

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I’ve developed asthma and rhinitis in later life (became more apparent since turbo training, but sure it’s been there all my life) and now on inhaler and nasal spray daily … but I have a Dyson Pure fan and have that pointed at my face (not powerful enough to do all my cooling) and it has definitely helped

Triamcinolone and azelastine.

I haven’t that problem on the trainer, Saline nasal sprays should help in mean time?
If hasn’t been mentioned yet, what about your (if using it) airconditioning/dehumidifiers while you sleep or workplace environments? It’s just a thought, that maybe problem starts there and worsens on the trainer workouts?

Just an ovservation with myself in past month that when I napped or slept with air conditioning (set 24deg), I wake up feeling so dehydrated, sore sinuses and darn headaches. Recently stopped sleeping with aircon and I wake up feeling so fresh! Btw it’s hot summer where I am, can’t say much about winter climates

There is certainly something in what you say, I train outside in an outhouse that can often be a little damp, I’m of the belief that those conditions are obviously not ideal but I think one major factor that most people will not think of is your fan itself.

I always remember that about 25 years ago I was truck down with viral meningitis, one of the first questions the doctor asked me was about my working environment and whether I used a fan (I work in an office and would be continually using one). He said that in his opinion they are essentially germ magnets! Now I wish I could tell you that I clean my fan all the time but in reality I don’t but I’d certainly advise anyone else to do so. You’re in a room, giving it the beans, you’re lungs are sucking in big amounts of air and most of the time the air that’s hitting you is from a fan that’s potentially got build ups of dust on it.

Something to consider.

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Thanks all, there are definitely some advices to consieder. I will first focus on the dust/dirt (checking allergy and clean fan regularly) - I´ve put a short summary on top so maybe other users looking for same feedback might get a quick overview.

@Darbycurrie: I am from Germany and air conditioning / edhumidifiers are quite uncommen here, so I can tick this off my list. But sure, heard from other people that air conditioning can cause some problems regarding ones health.

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