Respiratory Viral Infections in Athletes: Many Unanswered Questions.

ABSTRACT: Upper respiratory tract infections ("common cold") are the most common acute illnesses in elite athletes. Numerous studies on exercise immunology have proposed that intense exercise may increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. Virological data to support that view are sparse, and several fundamental questions remain. Immunity to respiratory viral infections is highly complex, and there is a lack of evidence that minor short- or long-term alterations in immunity in elite athletes have clinical implications. The degree to which athletes are infected by respiratory viruses is unclear. During major sport events, athletes are at an increased risk of symptomatic infections caused by the same viruses as those in the general population. The symptoms are usually mild and self-limiting. It

SUBMITTER: Ruuskanen O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8965548 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature