Journal List > Korean J Sports Med > v.37(2) > 1126482

Bae, Kim, and Yun: The Experience of the Upper Respiratory Infection of the Elite Winter Sports Athletes and Its Effect on Training and Competition

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the experience of the upper respiratory infection of the elite winter sports athletes and its effect on training and competition.

Methods

We conducted survey on elite athletes preparing for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. The general characteristics, training and competition loss due to upper respiratory infection were analyzed by descriptive statistics. Multiple regression analysis was performed to find out the factors that influence on training loss due to upper respiratory infection. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant and data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 24.0.

Results

A total 65 players answered the questionnaire. Sixteen players (24.7%) reported that they got an upper respiratory infection more than three times a year. The month mainly affected by upper respiratory infection was September to November. Main symptom of upper respiratory infection was rhinorrhea mostly, followed by sore throat, cough, sputum. Six players (9.2%) answered that they were excluded from training more than three times due to upper respiratory infection for 1 year. Seven players (10.7%) answered that they were excluded from competition one time due to upper respiratory infection for 1 year. The factors that influence on training loss due to upper respiratory syndrome were the numbers of getting upper respiratory infection for 1 year and age.

Conclusion

Elite winter athletes are vulnerable to upper respiratory and it has a bad effect on training and competition. So we need to take care of elite athletes' illness like upper respiratory infection.

Figures and Tables

Table 1

General characteristics of elite winter sports athletes

kjsm-37-54-i001

Values are presented as mean±standard deviation or number (%).

Table 2

General characteristics of URI* for 1 year

kjsm-37-54-i002

Values are presented as number (%).

URI: upper respiratory infection.

*Only the case when athletes visited medical clinic due to URI.

Table 3

Training and event loss due to URI*

kjsm-37-54-i003

Values are presented as number (%).

URI: upper respiratory infection.

*Only the case when athletes visited medical clinic due to URI.

Table 4

Factors that associated with training loss due to URI*

kjsm-37-54-i004

URI: upper respiratory infection, B: unstandardized regression coefficients, SE: standard error, Beta: standardized regression coefficients, VIF: variance inflation factor.

*Only the case when athletes visited medical clinic due to URI.

Notes

Conflict of Interest No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

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ORCID iDs

Moonjung Bae
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0070-3681

Sejun Kim
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3417-7969

Jungjoong Yun
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4606-4555

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