title: Effect of an intense period of competition on race performance and self-reported illness in elite cross-country skiers.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether participating in a cross-country skiing stage race (Tour de Ski; TDS) affects subsequent illness incidence, training, and race performance. Self-reported training and illness data from 44 male and female elite cross-country skiers were included. In total, 127 years of data were collected (2-3 seasons per athlete). Illness incidence, training load, and performance in international competitions were calculated for athletes who did and did not participate in TDS. Forty-eight percent of athletes reported becoming ill during or in the days immediately after taking part in TDS vs 16% of athletes who did not participate. In both groups, illness incidence was somewhat lower for female athletes. For male athletes, race performance was significantly worse for 6 weeks following TDS vs 6 weeks before TDS. Furthermore, while female athletes who participated in TDS performed relatively better than controls in Olympics/World Championships, male athletes who participated in TDS typically performed worse in subsequent major championships. Participating in TDS appears to result in ∼ 3-fold increase in risk of illness in this period. Male athletes appear more prone to illness and also see a drop in race performance following TDS, possibly linked to differences in training load before and after the event.
authors.affiliation: School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Svendsen
authors.affiliation: School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gleeson
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Haugen
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tønnessen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D064797:Physical Conditioning, Human / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012865:Skiing / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid
keywords: Endurance athletes; overreaching; training load; upper respiratory illness