It's not uncommon for endurance athletes to feel tired after a hard block of training or racing. Perhaps even athletes will get sick as their immune system is supressed due to the stress and fatigue. Sometimes, athletes may find that they bounce back from being sick, returning to normal and others may continue to feel beat down, yet they continue to train through this. If theyâre lucky, their body will recover as normal and nothing comes of it. In the unfortunate situation, the athlete will continue to be sick and fatigued and just canât seem to recover and bounce back. In the case of the Epstein Barr Virus, the symptoms and recovery process can severely impact an athlete's performance and everyday life.Â
For those that are unfamiliar with the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), it is one of the most common human viruses and infects nearly most adults (90-95%) worldwide at some point in their lives. Most people will contract EBV during childhood or as young adults with mild to unnoticeable symptoms. However, if EBV infects those in their 20-30s, EBV can appear as infectious mononucleosis (aka mononucleosis, granular fever, or âkissing diseaseâ through its spread by saliva). Symptoms often include high levels of fatigue, muscle weakness, swollen spleen and/or liver and other symptoms associated with typical cold and flu-like symptoms (e.g. headache, fever, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes).
For endurance athletes, an EBV infection goes beyond being an inconvenience as the symptoms can be season-altering and even career-altering if severe enough. The frustrating part about EBV is that there is no predictable timeline for recovery as each individual's recovery progress can be significantly different. Notable names in cycling have been documented with challenges associated with EBV including Mark Cavendish, Benat Intxausti, Esteban Chaves, and Chloe Dygert.Â
Unfortunately, Carbs Fuel athlete Alex Wild recently had his own experience with EBV. After a period of challenging and disappointing performances, Alex went through a series of tests that revealed that he had an active EBV infection, thus explaining his poor feelings and performances. While it is unclear when he contracted the virus, it was clear his body had been battling with the virus for quite some time. These tests brought clarity to his situation, allowing a plan for recovery, training, and racing for the rest of the season. We sat down with Alex and discussed his experience with EBV and his outlook for this upcoming season.
When did you realize that something was wrong?
Alex Wild: In hindsight, I shouldâve known last year when I struggled with deep fatigue but it wasnât until I experienced it again this year that I started to look for another answer.
How did you go about determining you have the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)?
Alex Wild: Blood testing was the best way for me. It allows you to see if you have an acute infection as well as if you have had it before. For me, I had it before this acute infection so it helped explain what happened to my season last year.
What were your symptoms?
Alex Wild: The biggest was deep fatigue. By deep fatigue I mean fatigue deep in my bones that wouldnât go away with rest or easy rides.
What did you do to recover from your EBV infection?
Alex Wild: From my understanding, the only way to recover from the acute phase is complete rest. We took 4 weeks completely off the bike to allow the body to recover. We had a high level of confidence this would work as this is what my off season looks like and after my off season I had great training. After that, it seems a bit less prescriptive and more âeveryone is differentâ as there seems to be a lingering phase to it that can last for an unknown amount of time. Even now, training normally and planning to race again, I still worry about it.
During your recovery, did you diet change?
Alex Wild: I needed a bit of a mental break from the emotion of it all so I did give myself a bit of flexibility at the beginning of my time off but no diet changes in order to help with EBV.
Now that you are training again, has your fueling strategy before, during, and after your workouts changed?
Alex Wild: No, for me fueling has stayed the same. I donât think the fueling piece played a part in my EBV diagnosis.
Has your perspective with fueling changed now that you are recovering from the EBV infection? Do you find it more important now? Has your strategy changed?
Alex Wild: No, I have always prioritized fueling and good nutrition. Both on the bike through Carbs Fuel and off the bike with my dietician, Chris Lowe.
Are you approaching your training, recovery, and preparation for workouts and races differently?
Alex Wild: We initially brought my training load and FTP down to be conservative and slowly brought both back slowly to make sure my body could handle it again.
What are some tips you would give to someone that is going through the same or similar experience?
Alex Wild: Patience is the biggest one, it is a slow process and often done while others get to race or when you donât want to be resting.
When can people see you out there racing again?
Alex Wild: I am hoping to be at Leadville if all goes well!
We are excited to see Alex back out there battling for a podium spot at the big Lifetime Grand Prix races. Look for Alex at Leadville and other races later this season! Go Alex!
