Athletes are more prone to fall sick

Athletes who cram in extra workouts over the holidays to avoid packing on extra pounds also need to take extra precautions to avoid getting sick, recent guidelines stress.

In some ways, athletes are just like the rest of us. They are more susceptible to colds and the flu when they get too little sleep or drink too much alcohol.

But the physical demands of regular, prolonged, high intensity training and competition are associated with changes in the immune system that can make them more predisposed to illness than people who aren’t athletes, said lead author of the guidelines, Martin Schwellnus of the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

“Sudden increases in training and competition load can increase the risk of illness,” he said. The picture is different for those of who are more like weekend warriors than elite athletes. Routine, moderate-intensity physical activity can help protect people against colds and diseases that involve the upper respiratory tract, researches has found.