I haven’t had OTS that I know of, but I do get seasonal allergies pretty bad. What follows is my experiment on myself.
I started base building Jan 1st, and for two months I was constantly about to get sick (found out I had low Vitamin D). Then right when I was over that hump in March, allergy season started up.
To make things worse, my immunotherapy shots I’ve been getting for years just weren’t working as well as they used to, AND my allergy doctor ran out of my tree-specific serum and has had some sort of months long delay re-ordering it. So my allergy shots weren’t going to help me this spring.
I was having to take Xyrtec 2x a day and a Benadryl in the evenings to keep the allergy cough at bay and just overall I felt like crap. I was getting desperate.
I got desperate enough that I tried Maffetone’s Carb Intolerance test because like two people on the internet said it helped their allergies. (Also I figured it would help turn me into a fat-burning beast.) Make that three people on the internet now who say it’s helped their allergies.
I didn’t try his CI test before because I love my avocado toast, breakfast burritos, and the occasional decadent baked good. The thought of giving that up sounded like no fun. Instead I upped my fat intake and lowered my carb intake, but I didn’t cut out anything. But finally I was ready to give it a go.
It worked! I mean, I don’t know if it was cutting out carbs, my steadily increasing Vitamin D levels, or the months of base building, or all three, but within a few days my allergies were way improved despite the trees just getting started, my recovery improved dramatically in between workouts, and I’ve been able to stick to my plan in Training Peaks and build my volume up. And yes, it also took my fat burning to the next level.
And even though the pollen has stayed ridiculously high since I cut carbs in late March I don’t have to take Xyrtec every day (it’s more like once every couple weeks, I can’t remember the last I took one actually.) I still use Dymista but I’m not sure I need to.
I still have allergies, but they are way, way, way milder. Like a slightly runny nose as I run by the aspen trees that are budding. I can open the windows in the house again. If I fell off the wagon a bit the day before I notice my eyes get more watery when I’m out exercising.
I haven’t figured out exactly which foods were causing me issues but I’m pretty sure sugar was a major culprit. I’ve felt so much better I hesitate to add things back in. Anyway I hope that might help you out. Or immunotherapy shots, if you don’t already get them. They have helped me a great deal overall and for years they eliminated my allergies altogether.
