Chair: Dr Hitasha Rupani (Southampton, United Kingdom)

Speakers: Prof. Dr Martin Schwellnus (Pretoria, South Africa), Prof. Maarit Valtonen (Jyväskylä, Finland)

Discussants: Prof. James H. Hull (London, United Kingdom), Dr Rikhard Mäki-Heikkilä (Tampere, Finland)

Fees: Free for ERS members / €10 for non-members
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Overview

Respiratory tract infections are among the most common medical conditions affecting athletes and can significantly influence performance, training continuity and long-term health. Despite this, clinicians often lack robust, evidence-based guidance on clinical assessment, risk evaluation and return-to-sport decision-making following viral respiratory illness.

This journal club brings together two complementary studies focused specifically on athletic populations, offering clinicians, physiologists and sports medicine professionals practical insights into infection characteristics, monitoring strategies and safe return-to-play considerations. Expert discussion will contextualise findings within elite and recreational sport settings, enhancing real-world applicability.

Topics:

This journal club will address a key educational gap by examining respiratory tract illness in athletes through recent high-quality clinical studies:

1. Clinical manifestations of different viral respiratory infections in athletes: implications for risk assessment and return-to-sport (AWARE VII Study)

Author & Speaker: Prof. Martin Schwellnus
Study: Jooste M, Sewry N, Valtonen M, Dyer M, Jordaan E, Schwellnus M. Phys Sportsmed. 2026;54(1):1-10.
Summary:
The AWARE VII study investigates the clinical presentation of different viral respiratory infections in athletes and their implications for risk stratification and safe return-to-sport decisions. Using data from 116 cases, the study provides evidence to guide clinicians in balancing athlete health, performance, and safety following respiratory illness.

2. Viral acute respiratory illnesses in elite athletes: a 12-month controlled follow-up study

Author & Speaker: Prof. Maarit Valtonen
Study: Luoto R et al. PLoS One. 2025;20(6):e0322283.
Summary:
This prospective follow-up study evaluates the incidence, duration and clinical impact of viral acute respiratory illnesses in elite athletes over 12 months. The findings offer insight into infection patterns, recovery trajectories and performance implications, supporting evidence-based clinical management in high-performance sport.

Format

One-hour webinar structured as follows:

• Opening remarks - Introduction by Chair Hitasha Rupani (5 min)
• Presentation 1: Clinical manifestations of viral respiratory infections in athletes and implications for return-to-sport (AWARE VII) - Martin Schwellnus (15 min)
• Presentation 2: Viral acute respiratory illnesses in elite athletes: findings from a 12-month controlled follow-up study - Maarit Valtonen (15 min)
• Panel discussion - Panalists: James Hull - engage both speakers with targeted questions on study design, interpretation, and clinical application.
  Moderated by the Chair Hitasha Rupani (15 min)
• Audience Q&A and Wrap-up - Moderated by Chair Hitasha Rupani, summarising key take-home messages and future implications. (10 min)

Learning outcomes

Following this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Recognise clinical patterns of viral respiratory illness in athletes.
• Apply evidence-based principles to risk assessment and return-to-sport decisions.
• Understand longitudinal trends in respiratory illness among elite athletes.
• Integrate research findings into multidisciplinary athlete healthcare.
• Identify gaps and priorities for future research in sports respiratory medicine.

CME credit

An application for accreditation of this webinar has been made to the European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology (EBAP) for 1 CME credit per 1-hour attendance. If accredited, the CME credit will be granted upon attendance of at least 60 minutes during the live webinar only.

What is a webinar?

A webinar closely simulates a lecture-based teaching experience. The speaker can interact with the audience, just as in a classroom setting. During the webinar, you will be asked to share your opinion on issues related to the topic using interactive polls.

All participants will be able to hear the lecturer and see the slides throughout the presentation. As a participant you will be able to pose questions or discuss ideas with the other participants via the text chat facility and the speaker will respond to the questions via the microphone.

Login guidelines

More information will be communicated in due course.

• Please log in to the webinar 20 minutes before it is scheduled to commence. If you have any technical difficulties whilst trying to log in or during the session please contact e-learning@ersnet.org.
• Check Central European Time.
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• Please also ensure that your audio settings are not set to mute and adjust the volume to a comfortable level.