Environmental and infectious conditions in sports

Abstract

The hearts and lungs of athletes are subject to damage from a wide array of infections and environmental factors. Mild to moderate exercise has been shown to be beneficial to overall health, and strenuous exercise simply requires proper rest and rehabilitation to ensure its beneficial effects as well. Simple colds and URTIs are very common in athletes and do not usually require significant intervention. Any suspected cardiac infection mandates a thorough evaluation and proper management to prevent catastrophic consequences. High altitudes can be helpful in enhancing performance, but caution must be exercised at even modest altitude to prevent serious complications. With diving, participants should know their time limits and ascend properly to avoid serious complications. Keeping the heart and lungs in a good state of health is a major priority for the weekend warrior and world-class athletes alike. A thorough knowledge of infections and environmental issues in the cardiopulmonary health of athletes should always be of highest priority.

ESC Study Group of Sports Cardiology: recommendations for participation in leisure-time physical activity and competitive sports for patients with ischaemic heart disease

“…Consequently it is essential to give instructions to the individual with IHD, who wishes to participate in competitive sports or leisure-time sport activity, on how to be physically active at a safe level of intensity. To minimize risks during physical activity, some general 'suggestions for good physical activity practice' should also be applied to each activity session (Table 2) [50][51][52][53][54][55].…”

“…However, the percentage of V O 2 max may vary considerably in relation to an individual's ventilatory threshold, even though the ventilatory threshold is higher in 'fit' K Check with your physician in the case of unusual symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, dyspnoea or palpitations during physical activity [51] K No physical practice in case of unusual asthenia, fever or viral syndrome [52] K Ensure adequate hydration before, during and after physical activity [53] K Adapt the intensity of physical activity to the environmental conditions, temperature, humidity, altitude [53] K Avoid smoking at all times, and especially 2 h before and after the physical activity [54] K Avoid a hot shower during the 15 min after physical activity [55] K Tailor the intensity of physical activity to each individual's current clinical physical capacity [50] K Avoid any kind of drug abuse, doping, and/or additives with contents that are not fully known individuals. In established IHD, training should not be above the individual ventilatory threshold, which typically corresponds with 85% of age-related HRmax, but may in fact vary between 50 and 90% of HRmax.…”

Jet lag and environmental conditions that may influence exercise performance during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa

“…12 Inhalation of cold and dry air during exercise has been implicated as a trigger for EIB in subjects with asthma.…”