Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in healthy, free-living athletes Respiratory
Conditions
Interventions
If they agree to take part, participants would be required to complete a health questionnaire to ensure they are suitable for participation, and to sign a consent form.
Randomization:
Fully double-
Sponsors
University of Kent
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Endurance-trained, competitive athletes (e.g. long-distance runners, triathletes, cyclists), with a high training load (i.e. >5 hours planned training and/or activity per week)
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. On long-term medication 2. Currently smoking 3. Allergic to any of the ingredients in ColdZyme 4. Currently using any medication (except for contraceptives), or food supplements 5. Currently using any other relevant products or supplements (nutritional or otherwise) that may influence the common cold 6. Currently taking part in another study that may compromise the results of this study 7. Currently pregnant, breast-feeding or planning to become pregnant during the study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| URTI episode duration recorded using the Jackson common cold questionnaire completed daily by participants during the 3-month monitoring period | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. URTI parameters (number of episodes; severity ratings) recorded using the Jackson common cold questionnaire completed daily by participants during the 3-month monitoring period during their enrolment in the study 2. URTI episodes with swab-confirmed pathogen detection: participants will be instructed to collect a “self-swab” if they experience a URTI episode (self-reported via Jackson questionnaire). They will be required to take a throat swab (at the same time) on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 (where day 1 is the first day that symptoms are present). Samples will be screened for the presence of known URTI-causing pathogens using a commercially-available respiratory pathogen qPCR panel 3. Viral load in pathogen-confirmed URTI: relative viral load will be estimated using the Ct values derived from the qPCR panel, and an internal reference gene, for the pathogen screening mentioned above on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 (where day 1 is the first day that symptoms are present) 4. Training load and absence days (days missed training due to URTI): an exercise training log will be recorded prospectively by participants for all planned physical activity (exercise training) that they take part in. For every session, they will record session duration and overall rating of perceived exertion (RPE), which will be used to estimate the overall training load. If an URTI episode causes them to miss, or adjust their training vs what was planned, they will record this on their log. This will be used to calculate missed (or otherwise affected) training for the duration of the monitoring period (3 months). | — |
Countries
England, United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed