Fran Lung & Cough – UPDATED 2022 – A Complete Guide

CrossFit is one of the best workout routines in 2022 and you’ve probably already heard of all of the benefits it has – but it also comes with risks if you don’t take proper precautions. This, of course, includes injuries such as muscle strain, tearing, and in the worst-case scenarios something as serious as a fracture or a broken bone.

Sometimes, you can develop a condition where it’s difficult to associate that it’s from a mistake during a CrossFit routine. Fran lung is one such condition, and it can be a result of high-intensity CrossFit workouts. The main symptom of Fran lung is a cough, but there are other tell-tale signs.

In this guide, we’ll cover what Fran lung is, the causes of Fran lung, how to recover from a Fran lung cough, and how to prevent Fran lung.

 

Fran Lung – A Complete Guide

Fran lung is named as such due to the workout that often causes the condition. The Fran routine is a high-intensity routine that includes a pattern of barbell thrusters and pull-ups.

A good Fran is measured by how quickly it can be completed, and the workout is often used by CrossFit enthusiasts as a ‘benchmark’ of their progress. If you can do the Fran faster than the last time you tried, it shows that your training has been productive and effective.

Getting the best Fran time among friends can become a source of healthy competition, but in the effort to eke out those extra few seconds, safety can become compromised. The Fran involves a 95-pound barbell weight, and for some people lifting that at any speed is a challenge. Now imagine having to do it quickly, and then doing it 20 more times at that same speed.

Even if you take the precautions to prevent external injury, an internal injury like Fran lung is something that’s much more difficult to avoid… and with the adrenaline of the Fran workout, you likely won’t know that you’ve caused yourself Fran lung until it’s too late.

The symptoms of Fran lung to look out for include burning and scratchy throat, air hunger (gasping for air), persistent and violent cough, and a metallic taste in your mouth. These symptoms will occur in the middle of a high-intensity workout, or very soon after you stop exercising.

As soon as you develop one or more of these symptoms, you should stop all exercise and immediately rest. You won’t be able to exercise safely for at least another day, and it’s recommended that you take 2 rest days just to be sure that you’re in the clear.

What Is Fran Lung & What Causes It?

The accurate medical term for Fran lung is “Exercise-induced Pulmonary Edema”. Let’s break this down first of all.

Pulmonary edema is where fluid enters the lungs and collects into excessive amounts. Pulmonary edema is usually a result of existing heart conditions, but luckily Fran lung is not as serious as this.

What exactly leads to Fran lung is still being studied and understood, but evidence exists that high impact exercise can cause damage to the blood-gas barrier of the lung. This membrane is responsible for preventing air bubbles from entering the blood and preventing blood from entering the lungs, and heavy exertion can cause it to temporarily malfunction.

This means that a small amount of fluid can enter your lungs, which on its own is not usually serious but it’s enough to send warning signals to your respiratory system to make it think that you’re struggling for oxygen.

In this way you can think of Fran lung as more of a preventative measure from your body than an actual illness, but it can be stressful and worrying to deal with.

Fran lung can be confused with other similar conditions that come from intensive exercise; the most common among these is exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. The characteristics of this condition are shortness of breath, wheezing, and fatigue.

The main difference between the two is that Fran lung is a temporary condition, whereas exercise-induced bronchoconstriction is a chronic condition that is triggered by exercise. Fran lung is also easily identified by a cough that may taste metallic, meaning that it will be easy to tell if you have it.

Fran Lung Cough Recovery

Because Fran lung is rarely the sign of serious pulmonary edema, your body will return to normal function in around 20-30 minutes. However, symptoms of Fran lung can persist for up to 24 hours after the incident.

To speed up the recovery from Fran lung, first and foremost you should rest. You should not continue exercising, and you should not engage in any strenuous activity until symptoms have subsided almost completely.

You should also take deep breaths, which may feel more difficult than usual but it’s important to push through. Breathing through your mouth is recommended as it will allow you to intake much more oxygen than through your nose.

Try to avoid fast, shallow breaths as these will create more carbon dioxide, which will lead to more coughing and more difficulty breathing. If you have access to an inhaler, this can help a lot with normalizing your breathing after Fran lung.

Finally, if you’re worried about any symptoms you’re experiencing, you should see a doctor. While most cases of Fran lung are not serious and are just a case of waiting it out, a GP can prescribe medication such as corticosteroids that will prevent further inflammation of the airways.

Fran Lung – Closing Thoughts

While Fran lung is not life-threatening, and will usually subside with a full day’s rest, it is still a risk of intensive CrossFit exercise that should be taken seriously. This updated guide is intended as an introduction to Fran lung and as always, you should consult your GP for advice on how to stay safe while performing CrossFit in 2022 and for advice on any worrying symptoms.

Interested in lower intensity CrossFit exercises? Keep an eye out for future guides about low-risk and recovery-focused CrossFit exercises, routines, and tips for keeping healthy while exercising.