2. Antibiotics and Athletes

The Podium

This time of year, a large portion of our population ends up on antibiotics. For those of us that are athletes or inclined to maintain a high level of activity, that can be detrimental. Indeed, antibiotics can cause as many problems as they can cure.
In the US, medical practitioners are notorious for prescribing antibiotics when there is clearly no indication to do so. Head colds and bronchitis are almost uniformly caused by viruses. Viruses are not the same as bacteria. Antibiotics treat bacteria, but they do nothing for viruses. In addition to those conditions for which antibiotics are useless, there are other illnesses which are bacterial but self-limiting. Said another way, your body is strong enough to deal with them on its own.
In this episode, we discuss the dangers and utility of antibiotics with a particular emphasis on how athletes and active individuals can be affected.