In this edition of the Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal, “Management of Infectious Diseases and other Illnesses in Athletes”, we aim to bring focus to the often-underestimated area of illness in sport. 

Because of their (considerably higher) incidence, it is understandable that injuries in sport receive much more attention and media coverage, leaving illnesses in the background. However, a sick athlete is not at all a rare occurrence, and contrary to injuries – which mostly happen during training or competition – exposure to infectious agents can occur both within and outside of the pitch and dressing room area. In their daily life, athletes, just like non-athletes, are exposed to pathogens in family, work and personal settings. Because of the known risks of exercising with an active infection, key training days or even competition dates may be missed – an undesirable outcome regardless of the cause. To make matters worse, evidence suggests that intense periods of training, stress, travelling and psychological stress (all of which are linked to important competitions) increase proneness to infectious illnesses. It is therefore only natural that there is interest in the use of preventive measures and strategies. 

Moreover, with advances in modern medicine, it is becoming more common for people with chronic diseases to practice sport at different levels. Obstructive airway disease and diabetes mellitus no longer necessarily mean that one cannot participate in sport, including at an elite level. An adequate knowledge of these topics and their management strategies, possibly in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, allows athletes to reach their desired level, be it recreational or elite. 

In this edition, we have covered a wide range of topics to highlight the importance of illness in sport and aim to bring them to the foreground. There are some topics which remain under debate, where scientific evidence is not yet conclusive (and a range of opinions may be present). We have therefore aimed to include differing perspectives and available research in order to provide a critical overview and allow the reader to reflect on the current state of the literature. 

We wish to thank Aspetar Sport Medicine Journal for providing the support for developing this topic and publishing this issue and to all authors for providing their expertise and the time for this excellent contribution to sport  medicine literature.

Prof Tim Meyer MD PhD
Full Professor for Sports and Preventive Medicine

Monica Duarte-Muñoz MD 

Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany