Sport and infection

Abstract

Infectious diseases are apparently as common among athletes as among the average population. An infection will normally lead to decreased performance, i.e. an athlete will "feel" an infection more than a non-athletic individual. Some infections are, however, more common among athletes. These are often related to the kind of athletic performance an the kind of training methods involved but can usually be prevented. In many areas there is a lack of knowledge and the need for more research is underlined.