Abstract
ColdZyme® Mouth Spray (ColdZyme) is intended to reduce the probability of catching a cold and/or can help shorten the duration of a cold, if used at an early stage of the infection, by forming a barrier on the pharyngeal mucous membrane. The user experience of ColdZyme on naturally occurring common cold infections was evaluated in competitive athletes training professionally or on an amateur level. Thirteen athletes completed weekly electronic surveys on occurrence of common colds, cold severity and user experience over the course of 3 months. The 13 participants reported in total 15 cold incidents with an average duration of 7.4 days. The average cold severity was 31.2 on a visual-analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (mildest possible cold) to 100 (worst possible cold). The overall user satisfaction with ColdZyme was high. 81% of the reported colds were experienced to be milder and/or shorter than usual. None of the participants reported “No effect”. Out of the participants who reported absence of a cold in the previous week, 69% reported a positive answer to the question if ColdZyme had prevented them from catching a cold in the previous week. Conclusion: The present study evaluated prevention and alleviation of naturally occurring common cold in athletes, and demonstrated that ColdZyme may be an easy and practical way for competitive athletes to prevent or reduce infections of the common cold virus and corresponding unwanted absence from training and competition. Due to the lack of a comparator group, a placebo effect cannot be excluded.
Highlights
IntroductionUpper respiratory symptoms are the most common medical condition affecting
The present study evaluated prevention and alleviation of naturally occurring common cold in athletes, and demonstrated that ColdZyme may be an easy and practical way for competitive athletes to prevent or reduce infections of the common cold virus and corresponding unwanted absence from training and competition
The answer rate was above 77% throughout the evaluation period, which is higher than expected based on previous surveys published in medical journals [14]
Summary
Upper respiratory symptoms are the most common medical condition affecting. Studies show that elite athletes suffer from more common colds and upper respiratory tract infections than recreational athletes [1] [2]. There is a well-established association between prolonged hard exercise and suppressed immune function [3]. The transient immune suppression after heavy exercise is thought to create an opportunity for viruses to gain a foothold, thereby increasing the risk of developing an infection [4]. Upper respiratory tract infection, such as common cold, is one of the main reason for missed training among UK elite athletes in 30 different Olympic sports. The specific conditions for elite athletes, such as hard exercise and travelling, increase susceptibility for infection by common cold viruses [2] [8]
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