Publications & Articles

Illness prevention programs may contribute to success at the Olympic Games

What are the findings?

• Female sex, low energy availability, hygiene practices and mental health are associated with sports incapacity (time loss) due to illness in athletes preparing for Olympic Games competition
• Low energy availability has the highest attributable fraction in the population and further research is needed to investigate the underlying causes and corrective action.
• Athletes who have been ill report lower levels of success and personal accomplishment highlighting the deep multifactorial connections between health, illness and individual perceptions on performance in high-level athletes.

How might it impact on clinical practice in the future?

• Illness prevention programmes should address energy availability, mental health, travel, living situations, hygiene and sex-specific issues.
• Clinicians charged with the care of ill athletes might need to investigate the psychological, environmental, nutritional and hygiene components of the presentation.
• Illness prevention programmes should evaluate the effect of multi-factorial preventive measures.
• Low energy availability and female sex were highly associated with illness.
• Higher reports of depression symptoms and perceived stress are associated with illness.

Drew MK, Vlahovich N, Hughes D, Appaneal R, Peterson K, Burke L, Lundy B, Toomey M, Watts D, Lovell G, Praet S, Halson S, Colbey C, Manzanero S, Welvaert M, West N, Pyne DB, Waddington G.

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 20 (2017) 745–750 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2017.02.010 1440-2440