Matt Lawton

The Times

Gerry Gajadharsingh writes:

“Just because you are considered extremely fit, it does not guarantee a good immune system! It is well known that elite athletes push themselves hard with their training and competition, sometimes to their detriment and beyond their peak performance and onto a downward slope of potential illness.

 This was flagged up as far back as the 1970’s with the work by an endocrinologist called Dr Hans Selye, sometimes called “the father of stress”. He did a lot of work looking at how stress/arousal can affect performance and health. It is expressed well in his “Human function curve”.

 Below is a link to a story shared by one of my patients, an elite athlete, who presented with a mixture of symptoms including recurrent respiratory infections and what we did to help her get better. I think much of the advice I gave is applicable today given our current situation.

https://www.thehealthequation.co.uk/diagnostic-consultations/

 The article below presents some surprising facts in our elite footballers and athletes, such as that “Elite athletes often have “heightened susceptibility to viral respiratory tract infection” and suffer with “chronic medical conditions, such as airways disease”, according to the authors James Hull, Mike Loosemore and Martin Schwellnus. Indeed the article states that “approximately 20 per cent of all endurance athletes” suffer from the latter condition, which would perhaps explain why so many use inhalers.”

Professional footballers and other elite athletes could be at greater risk from the effects of Covid-19 if they return to training and competing during the pandemic, medical experts have warned.

The elderly and people with existing medical conditions are regarded as being most in danger of contracting coronavirus. But an article written in The Lancet, the respected medical journal, by members of the department of respiratory medicine at Royal Brompton Hospital, details the threat that could also be posed to supposedly young, healthy elite athletes.

Football clubs and other sporting bodies have consistently stressed the importance of athlete welfare when debating the challenges associated with a return to action.

But The Times understands that the article in The Lancet has already been circulated by senior figures in disabled sport — not least because the disability of some athletes can cause limited lung function and other respiratory issues — and it may cause concern in able-bodied sport too.

Elite athletes often have “heightened susceptibility to viral respiratory tract infection” and suffer with “chronic medical conditions, such as airways disease”, according to the authors James Hull, Mike Loosemore and Martin Schwellnus. Indeed the article states that “approximately 20 per cent of all endurance athletes” suffer from the latter condition, which would perhaps explain why so many use inhalers.

It also states that intense exercise can make people more susceptible to infection, while highlighting the risks of training and competing in groups. It offers guidance on how soon athletes should return to exercise if they have been infected, given the risk of heart problems associated with the disease.

“When faced with a rapidly evolving pandemic associated with high morbidity and mortality in older people, the respiratory health of a (predominantly) young and very physically fit population might, on the face of it, seem trivial or almost irrelevant,” says an article that was published earlier this month.

“Several specific issues are pertinent here, including questions regarding decisions to continue training, potential transmission of disease within teams, the potential effect of vigorous exercise on infection susceptibility and the need for guidance regarding return to play, following Covid-19 infection.

“It is also recognised that there are cohorts of athletes and para-athletes with heightened susceptibility to viral respiratory tract infection and cohorts with known chronic medical conditions, such as airways disease.”

The experts recognise that physical activity is important, and can actually limit the threat of Covid-19. “For competitive athletes, however, it is necessary to undertake vigorous or high-intensity sessions, to facilitate the higher forms of physical conditioning required,” the article continues. “A potential increased risk of illness in periods of high-intensity training is a concern, but mainly in non-competitive recreational athletes.

“Increased risk of Covid-19 transmission during training is more likely in certain athletic settings where athletes train in groups, engage in contact sports, do not adhere to universal guidelines for social distancing, make use of shared equipment, do not practise universal guidelines to maintain personal hygiene, and use common facilities such as changing rooms.”

The experts recognise that there is no specific data relevant to incidents of coronavirus in athletic individuals.

An epidemiologist yesterday recommended players wear facemasks during matches and training. The EFL has told its clubs not to consider a return to training before May 16 — it will be guided by the government — but Dr Rowland Kao, from the University of Edinburgh, suggested masks would limit the spread of the virus in sports teams.