Getting sick after a competition

T

Tinydancergirl

Member
Quick question. I seem to find that many dancers, pro and am get sick after a competition. Is it because of the stress of the comp or is it some germ that manages to get passed around because of the enclosed enviroment?
Thanks! :D
Tinydancergirl
 
Interesting. Could just be the people you know. I've been competing for 10 years and I haven't really noticed such a trend. I'm not saying that bugs don't get passed around, but I really hadn't noticed it as being a problem issue.
 
Laura said:
Interesting. Could just be the people you know. I've been competing for 10 years and I haven't really noticed such a trend. I'm not saying that bugs don't get passed around, but I really hadn't noticed it as being a problem issue.
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Hmm. Guess I know a lot of sickies! :) I'd say over half catch a horrendous cold after their comps. It baffles me too. Thanks, Laura
Tinydancergirl
 
I've noticed people on here actually saying that. I think all the stresses that culminate up to the competition and then you're in a room full of people, and perhaps a plane full of people. I can definitely see how it happens. I think it seems to happen more in the winter time....

Of course, imbibing at the parties and hotel bar will knock your resistance down a bit, too!
 
I've noticed it. I think it's the combination of lots of people - which means some are probably contagious - combined with stress and dehydration, making one more susceptible to infection. I've noticed something similar on plane flights, though there one isn't exercising to the point of drying out the nasal passages and such.

I found the incidence seemed to go down a lot when I started being strict about carrying my own water and making sure I kept myself hydrated, drinking a little bit between each round and preferably between dances where possible.
 
Cold viruses are usually transmitted by contaminating your hands and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Interestingly the viruses are usually NOT transmitted via saliva, so kissing isn't risky but the close face-to-face contact is.

So, wash your hands lots and stay out of people's faces. LOL!

Stress can lower your resistance also.
 
Good points Warren. Maybe I haven't noticed it because I've always been a "stay hydrated" person and also a long time ago I started making sure I brought proper nutritious food to comps rather than relying on what I can find quickly in a hotel or sports facility type situation. Also, I wash my hands frequently -- every time I come back to my room/flat, before meals, after visiting the rest room. I am at a LOT of comps, though, either dancing or working, so I can't really afford to get sick at them, and I haven't in a very long time.
 
Warren J. Dew said:
I've noticed it. I think it's the combination of lots of people - which means some are probably contagious - combined with stress and dehydration, making one more susceptible to infection. I've noticed something similar on plane flights, though there one isn't exercising to the point of drying out the nasal passages and such.

I found the incidence seemed to go down a lot when I started being strict about carrying my own water and making sure I kept myself hydrated, drinking a little bit between each round and preferably between dances where possible.
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Makes a lot of sense. Hydration is always important, especially when dancing. Thanks!
Tinydancergirl
 
contracheck said:
Germs are not guilty in this case. Germs need a couple of weeks of incubation period to make people sick.
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Pathophysiology: Rhinoviruses are transmitted to susceptible individuals by direct contact or by aerosol particles infecting both ciliated areas of the nose and nonciliated areas of the nasopharynx through receptors, most frequently ICAM-1 (found in high quantities in the posterior nasopharynx). Few cells are actually infected by the virus, and the infection involves only a small portion of the epithelium. Symptoms develop 1-2 days after viral infection, peaking 2-4 days after inoculation, although reports have described symptoms as early as 2 hours after inoculation with primary symptoms 8-16 hours later

See also MedLine site.

Added proper attribution:

Authors: Michael Rajnik, MD, Clinton Murray, MD

Editor(s): Gregory William Rutecki, MD, Associate Professor, Program Director, Department of Internal Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
 
yeah I almost always get sick after competitions. Doesn't matter if I was scrutineering, or if I was competing. I didn't get sick too often after competiting when I was an amateur competitor as now when I'm doing pro-am. More multi-day competitions I think are to blame for the difference, rather than any other factor.
 
I've seen/experienced a similar effect in other activities. The situations where I've seen it there is a long duration of stress (e.g. build up to comp, long semester, long performance season) and then a let down/break (e.g. comp over, end of exams, last performance). It is almost like our bodies know we can't afford to get sick during the build up and hold off getting sick until things calm down.
 
Could be this...

"I can't get sick before the comp. I will NOT get sick during the comp!" Repeat, repeat.
Then, you stop thinking that after the comp. Vigilance is relaxed, voila!
 
nucat78 said:
Pathophysiology: Rhinoviruses are transmitted to susceptible individuals by direct contact or by aerosol particles infecting both ciliated areas of the nose and nonciliated areas of the nasopharynx through receptors, most frequently ICAM-1 (found in high quantities in the posterior nasopharynx). Few cells are actually infected by the virus, and the infection involves only a small portion of the epithelium. Symptoms develop 1-2 days after viral infection, peaking 2-4 days after inoculation, although reports have described symptoms as early as 2 hours after inoculation with primary symptoms 8-16 hours later

See also MedLine site.

Added proper attribution:

Authors: Michael Rajnik, MD, Clinton Murray, MD

Editor(s): Gregory William Rutecki, MD, Associate Professor, Program Director, Department of Internal Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Click to expand...

A claim in a paper does not make it a scientfic fact. The claim must be reproduced by others and cofirmed many times over before we accept it. Medical literature is full of dhort-lived calims. We all need to have laser-beam eyes that can distinguish gems from rocks. Besides, we have no evidence that those people who get sick after a competition is caused by rhinovirus.
 
Chiron said:
I've seen/experienced a similar effect in other activities. The situations where I've seen it there is a long duration of stress (e.g. build up to comp, long semester, long performance season) and then a let down/break (e.g. comp over, end of exams, last performance). It is almost like our bodies know we can't afford to get sick during the build up and hold off getting sick until things calm down.
Click to expand...

Me too, when my body finally gets to relax after running around, my immune system lets its guard down too.

I have competed with the stomach flu before...my partner brought a huge bottle of Purell and we both used it after each round. :oops: Lucky devil though, he didn't get the bug!
 
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