ABSTRACT
Endurance athletes have been suffering from a high incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) during intense training and after competition. Epidemiological studies have provided some evidence that the amount of exercise and/or its intensity is related to the incidence of URTI (Douglas et al., 1978; Peters et al., 1983; Peters, 1997). Peters and Bateman (1983) have reported that a two-fold higher incidence of URTI symptoms was observed in runners during the two weeks following an ultramarathon compared with age matched non-runners. Douglas and Hansen (1978) have also found that college students who had habitually high intensity training suffered a higher incidence of URTI symptoms compared to control subjects.
