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Athletes and public could benefit from new research on reduction of upper respiratory tract illness
The preliminary findings from the latest research into the benefits of a commercially available throat spray for endurance athletes has shown that it may shorten the duration of upper respiratory tract illnesses (URTI) such as coughs and colds by up to five days.
This research on the effects of ColdZyme, which is being conducted by Professor Glen Davison at the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, will not only have obvious benefits for athletes who are required to train and perform during cold and flu "season" but also the general population for whom symptoms can affect general health as well as impact on well-being and work productivity.
Professor Davison has been conducting research on ColdZyme since 2017.
For his latest study, the preliminary findings of which he presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) world conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport earlier this year, approximately 160 endurance athletes were monitored over the winter months in the UK. They were randomized to placebo or ColdZyme and required to monitor their training, and illness symptoms daily.
If they suspected a cold (or other URTI), they were required to take a self-swab from their throat on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of perceived URTI, which were later analyzed for the presence of viruses or bacteria that might be causing the infection.
Initial observations have shown that symptoms are milder, and illness duration is shorter. The swab analysis also shows lower viral load (for Rhinovirus, the most common URTI causing pathogen) with ColdZyme. Results for other pathogens will be presented in the full study.
Professor Davison also discussed his latest research when part of a panel on Innovations in Global Health Technologies in Geneva on 31 May.
He said, "This study has now finished, and we are in the process of completing all final analysis, hoping to publish the full results in peer-reviewed scientific outputs later this year. The findings are really exciting, and the reduction in illness duration could be of real practical benefit to athletes, and the wider population."
This research was funded by Enzymatica, maker of the ColdZyme product.
