While some Olympians might be worried about trying to prevent sports-related injuries before the 2012 Olympic Games begin, health experts are concerned about the health issues that Olympians might encounter while traveling.
Air travel illnesses are a bigger concern for Team USA's medical staff than sports related injuries. Cindy Chang, chief medical officer for the over 500 U.S. athletes going to the Games, advised that the Olympians sit in aisle seats so they can routinely walk and stretch on planes during long trips to London.
Airlines try their best to keep bacteria to a minimum. Nic Stevenson, a spokesman for the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, told Bloomberg Businessweek that airlines have filters which eliminate bacteria and viruses from the air to keep passengers safe.
"These filters are similar to those used in the hospital operating theatres," Stevenson said "The total volume of cabin air is exchanged every two to three minutes compared with every five to ten minutes in most air conditioned buildings."
Being that the athletes will encounter hundreds to thousands of other people on their travels and in the Olympic Village, they are also being advised to avoid handshakes as a greeting. Chang, who is also a head physician for the University of California, Berkley teams, suggests that athletes stick to a less formal fist bump.
"A fist bump is the greeting," said Chang in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. "There are sanitary places all over that you can use. What you don't want to do is shake someone's hands and then touch your eyes or touch your nose and touch your face."
The Olympic Village will host athletes in close quarters. As athletes are arriving from more than 200 countries, about 16,000 competitors and officials will be staying in the 11 areas of the temporary residence. Some athletes will have to share bedrooms, with up to four people per room, but many more will have to share leisure facilities.
Being that there are so many people, it is recommended that the athletes practice good hygiene.
"A cough can spread organisms 10 feet away from you, diseases can be spread by touching, coughing and sneezing," Ron Cutler, director of biomedical science degree programs at London's Queen Mary University, told Bloomberg. "Use soap and warm water. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment and you don't want to be spreading diseases to your colleagues."
Team USA is being joined by a team of 80 doctors who will keep the athletes updates on health advice with tips such as how to get into a regular sleep cycle after a long trip across the Atlantic.
"Even before they got off the plane we talk to them about how they can adjust their sleep cycle because it's eight hours for some of them," said Chang. "We tell them to stay up the night before so they can be tired when they get here."
Despite not having to travel very far, the British Olympic team of 542 members has also been advised on how to stay healthy during the Games.
"The Olympic environment is a hostile one. Housing can be dense, you share rooms and restaurants with many other athletes and there is a lot of extra stress. Most bugs you pick up on your hands, so hand washing is absolutely critical," said Britain's chief medical officer Ian McCurdie.
To avoid the spread of bacteria, the British team will use Procter & Gamble's Vicks brand sanitizer.
While some Olympians may be worried about catching viruses, others plan to get up close and personal with fellow Olympians in the Olympic Village. Some athletes have discussed the orgy type atmosphere of the Village in which Olympians engage in sex. Due to this, thousands of condoms are provided to the athletes.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
