| Athletes are Advised to: |
Minimize contact with infected people, young children, and animals; Avoid crowds and minimize contact with people outside the team/support staff; Keep at a distance to people who are coughing, sneezing, or have a “runny nose”; Wash hands regularly and effectively with soap and water, especially before meals; Carry insect repellent, antimicrobial foam/cream, or alcohol-based hand washing gel; Not share drinking bottles, cups, cutlery, towels, etc., with other people; Choose beverages from sealed bottles, and avoid raw vegetables and undercooked meat; Wear open footwear when using public showers and swimming pools; Adopt strategies to facilitate good quality sleep at night and nap during the day.
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| Support Staff are Advised to: |
Develop, implement, and monitor illness prevention guidelines for athletes and support staff; screening for airway inflammation disturbances (e.g., asthma, allergy); Identify high-risk athletes to take precautions during training/competition; Arrange for single-room accommodation during competition; Update athletes’ vaccines needed at home and for international travel.
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Training and Competition Load Management
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| Poor load management with ensuing maladaptation can be a risk factor for acute illness and overtraining. Changes in training load should be individualized in small increments <10%. General recommendations are: |
Detailed training/competition plan, including post-event recovery strategies; Training load monitoring, using measurements of external and internal load; Adequate nutrition, hydration, sleep, relaxation strategies, and emotional support.
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Psychological Load Management
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| Psychological load (stressors) such as negative life event stress and daily hassles can increase the risk of illness in athletes. Clinical practical recommendations center on reducing state-level stressors and educating athletes, coaches, and support staff in proactive stress management: |
Develop resilience strategies that help athletes manage negative life events, thoughts, emotions, and physiological states; Education for stress management techniques, confidence building, and goal setting; Reduce training/competition loads after negative life events to mitigate risk of illness; Implement periodical stress assessments.
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Measuring and Monitoring for Early Signs and Symptoms of Illness Over-Reaching and Overtraining
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| An athlete’s innate tendency is to continue to train and compete despite physical complaints or functional limitations. It is recommended that: |
Ongoing illness (and injury) surveillance systems should be implemented; Athletes be monitored for subclinical signs of illness, such as non-specific symptoms; Athletes be monitored for early symptoms and signs of over-reaching or overtraining.
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