Fitness levels

08 Jul, 2012 - 10:46 pm

Hi all
Just wondering if anyone is aware if there is any direct correlation in regards to how fitness and general well being such as diet and weight can reduce the severity of cycles.
If I follow past years then I am getting close to my start time for a new cycle.
This time thanks to this website I feel I am more prepared than I have ever been from a mental preperation perspective.
I recall when I was younger and started getting CHs at about 22 years of age, I was playing football (Aussie rules) and was in pretty good shape physically... I was probably abusing things like alchol sleep patterns and dietary intake in the way most 22 year olds would, and was also a smoker back then.
As the years went on my fitness and general health both waned as it does for most of us, and as my cycleds came around they seemed to get more evere with my reducing physical condition.
I stopped smoking some years ago and started riding a bike and last year after my latest CH cycle I decided it was time to lose a bit of weight and get as fit as I could, something I have worked really hard on since my last cycle ended.
What I was wondering is, is there any evidence that anyone has heard of that says that the severity of cycles can be improved with overall fitness and a good diet???
Not just from a good health perspective but from a scientific one.
Any feedback would be great.

Regards
Chris

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09 Jul, 2012 - 10:39 am

Hi Breakingpoint ,
I currently 31 and been in pretty good shape my whole life regularly go to the gym 6-7 times a week for 1-2 hours , I'm also very active outdoors etc . I have never smoked and not a regularly drinker only a special occasions or social now . When I was in my early 20s I did drink a bit more and tried a few party drugs but nothing too dangers and not regularly .
I have suffered CH from late teens only about 4-5 years ago find out about CH .
I cant honestly say that I have noticed a difference been fit has made to my CH . I recently began another cycle and had some shockers 8-9 for a hour a few times a day . However I have noticed that stress seems to affect them . If regular fitness lowers your stress level may help .
During the end of my last cycle I worked shift work in a very high stress job in aviation in operations . The job was very hectic and very stressful working full speed the entire shift . I was also in a very stressful marriage that wasn’t working . About 2 years ago Marriage end and I left my job in aviation to find a more regular hour job .
I have been a lot less stress full since and was 2 years CH free , I have been doing a regular hour job now and the stress levels are a lot lower . I have recently had the CH return but they are not as regular and not as many a day as before . I still get an 8 in pain CH but not 4-5 times a day as before .

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14 Jul, 2012 - 10:53 am

Hi guys,
i've thought about this a lot too. I was a heavy smoker, started at age 11, stopped at 22 then started again at 26. I didn't drink until I was early 20's, and not much then. Smoked a bit of pot and stuff, nothing too hectic, which is to say i've tried almost everything, just didn't get involved with it. I played a lot of sport until I was late 20's, rugby union, karate, squash, canoeing, bushwalking- all sorts.
CH started when I was 37, while working in one of the higher stress jobs going i.e. casino manager in Russia. Back then I was a heavy drinker and smoker, no fitness regime at all (how quickly life changes). I'm not convinced stress was a factor though.
I stopped smoking again at 43, and noticed an immediate drop in intensity and length of cluster attacks, and shortly after that went from chronic back to episodic in cycle.
I firmly believe diet plays a major role in CH, and that eating fresh, unprocessed food and "keeping yourself regular" goes a long way to reducing attacks, and/ or lessening the effects of them.
If a build of toxins causes CH (and i'm not suggesting it does, but it's a possibility) then eating right will help reduce those toxins, which even if that's not the cause of CH, can't be a bad thing for your body.
One benefit of physical fitness is increased oxygen carrying capacity in the blood, and as oxygen is a proven aid in the treatment of CH, it stands to reason that better fitness can only help.
I don't get enough sun, and certainly not enough fresh air, and i'm sure both play their part in my CH. No science to back any of this up, just personal observation and intuition. It would be interesting to collate everone's personal observations, maybe there's a common thread somewhere we're not picking up on yet.
cheers peter.

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