Experts take long view to aid Olympians’ health

The IOC Olympians Health Cohort research study goes live Monday 8 August aiming to recruit Tokyo 2020/21 and Beijing 2022 Olympians to a long term follow up study.

Health experts at Edinburgh are leading an internationally collaborative research study seeking to better understand how injury and illness impacts on Olympic athletes during, and after, their sporting careers.

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Spanish canoeist Nuria Vilarrubla training at Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Spanish canoeist Nuria Vilarrubla training at Kasai Canoe Slalom Centre before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Researchers who specialise in the risks associated with high performance sport want to build a clearer picture of the key health risks Olympians face, while competing and in retirement.

They hope their findings will inform targeted injury and illness prevention programmes and other wellbeing initiatives that will benefit athlete’s health now and in the future.

The team is recruiting a cohort of current Olympians, who have competed in the recent Tokyo summer or Beijing winter Olympic Games, so they can monitor the stresses and strains competitors face over the course of their competitive careers. 

https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/experts-take-long-view-to-aid-olympians-health