Can Cold and Allergy Medications Affect My Workout?
Lindsay Knake
Health and Wellness
Fitness
Body
Physical Health
Key Takeaways
- First‑generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine can cause drowsiness, dizziness and reduced psychomotor performance, making workouts harder; second‑generation options like loratadine or fexofenadine are less likely to impair exercise.
- Decongestants that contain pseudoephedrine may raise heart rate and blood pressure and can trigger dizziness, sweating, headache and nausea, so athletes—especially those with heart conditions—should monitor symptoms and consult a healthcare provider.
- When sick, limit activity to low‑intensity exercise if symptoms are “above the neck,” stay hydrated, read medication labels for hidden ingredients and rest completely for fever, body aches or lower‑body symptoms.
If you have a cold or are dealing with allergies, it can be tempting to pop some medication and keep your scheduled workout.
But are there any side effects or risks? Here’s how some common cold and allergy medications can affect your workout.
Antihistamines
Fatigue and nasal symptoms from allergies can make it difficult to exercise, so taking medication can make it possible for you to continue working out through allergy season. Antihistamines are commonly used to treat allergies. First-generation antihistamines such as diphenhydramine, or Benadryl, can cause drowsiness that can make daily tasks more difficult, including exercise. Sedating antihistamines such as diphenhydramine are also associated with worsened alertness and psychomotor performance, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Other diphenhydramine symptoms include dizziness and nausea, which can also interfere with your ability to exercise.
Some over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications may contain a sedating antihistamine to help with sleep, but it can have lingering effects and lead to grogginess the next day. For treating allergies, second-generation antihistamines such as loratadine, or Claritin, and fexofenadine, or Allegra, are less likely to cause drowsiness.
A small study recently published from the University of Oregon suggested taking high doses of antihistamines may interfere with fitness gains because this type of medication has an anti-inflammatory action. Exercise causes microscopic damage to muscles that triggers short-term inflammation, which is an important part of the muscle repair process that helps build strength. When this response is blocked, it can decrease the muscular improvements. However, it’s important to keep in mind the study included only 16 people and looked at much higher doses of antihistamines than you typically get in over-the-counter drugs. As a result, there’s no need to avoid allergy medication out of concern for your workouts
Oral and nasal decongestants
Over-the-counter cold, flu and allergy medications may also contain decongestants such as pseudoephedrine. This type of drug can increase your blood pressure and heart rate, according to the Mayo Clinic, which can make you feel more tired during a workout or make the workout more difficult. People with heart conditions are especially at risk of decongestant-related side effects.
Pseudoephedrine may also cause dizziness, increased sweating, headache and nausea, per the Mayo Clinic.
Monitor your heart rate and any other symptoms if you work out while taking a decongestant and talk to your primary care provider (PCP) about any risks with this drug.
How to work out safely while sick
If you have allergies or a cold without a cough, gentle exercise may help with congestion, according to the American Lung Association. Here are a few tips on how to safely exercise while on cold medications:
- Review medication labels carefully for all active ingredients. Some medications may appear under brand names (such as diphenhydramine or Benadryl) or included in combination products that contain decongestants or other medications.
- Stay hydrated.
- Modify your workout to a lower intensity while you are recovering from illness, and ease back into your normal routine gradually as you begin to feel better
- Stop exercising if you feel dizzy or overheated.
- Talk to your PCP if you have any concerns about medication side effects.
It’s best to take a few days off and rest if you have a respiratory illness, fever, or body aches, per the American Lung Association. An easy way to remember is a sickness that is “above the neck” (including a runny nose and a sore throat) is generally safe for workouts, whereas symptoms below the neck including body aches and fever) mean you should rest and recover.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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