The Common Cold A Fear for Olympians

With so much on the line for this year’s winter Olympians, competitors can’t help but fear even the common cold. Because medals are often won by just a fraction, these athletes need all the strength and determination they can muster, and a simple cold may threaten their chances at the gold.

Due to strict anti-doping rules, Olympic athletes are prohibited from taking several types of everyday cold medicines, leaving them to obsess about avoiding initial illness. James Southam, a member of the 2010 US cross-country skiing team, says, “If there’s anything physically wrong with you, you really don’t have a chance. It’s one of those things that’s always in the back of your mind.” Southam and other endurance athletes rely on their enormous lung capacity to power them through their event. A cough or sniffle can severely decrease lung capacity, making their years of training and preparation for the games in vain.

To combat these everyday germs, athletes take every measure. Southam even packs a hospital mask on plane trips to avoid catching germs in close quarters. Norwegian-born Ole Einar Bjorndalen has gargled with alcohol in the past to ward off germs. This year’s American Biathlon team isolated themselves in a block of the athlete’s village in Whistler, Vancouver, Canada, and limited bathroom access to only the team.

“The biggest reason for poor performance at international, multisport games is a respiratory infection,” said P. Gunner Brolinson, head team physician at Virginia Tech and one of the doctors treating athletes in Vancouver. Athletes travel long distances, are kept in close quarters and compete at the peak of cold and flu season, so are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections. Brolinson has already treated several cases since the arrival of athletes. Local public health agencies are doing their best keep health in check at the Games, and have asked national teams to vaccinate athletes against swine flu several other diseases.

 Because of the strict anti-doping rules, Brolinson treats athletes the old-fashioned way-with throat lozenges, fluids and rest, but several cold remedy companies, like Vick’s, the maker of DayQuil and NyQuil, and the Canadian manufacturer of Cold FX, have taken advantage of their compliance with World Anti-Doping Agency rules and are advertizing their products during the Games.

Last updated: 17-Feb-10