Health problems in national team cross-country skiers over a competitive season: a 17-week prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE: Few long-term prospective studies have investigated health problems in elite competitive cross-country (XC) skiers. Hence, our objective was to compare the prevalence of health problems in national team XC skiers over a competitive season. METHODS: Forty national team XC skiers participated in this prospective, observational study. Two groups were characterised according to performance level: senior (n=18, ~26 years old, 9 women) and development (n=22, ~21 years old, 9 women). The skiers reported all and substantial injuries and illnesses weekly for 17 consecutive weeks throughout the 2019/2020 competitive season using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems. RESULTS: The average weekly prevalence of all and substantial health problems was 19% (95% CI: 16% to 22%) and 12% (95% CI: 9% to 15%), respectively, and was similar between senior and development level skiers (p>0.05). The injury prevalence was higher in senior versus development level skiers (12%, 95% CI: 9% to 15% vs 5%, 95% CI: 3% to 7%; p<0.001), while illnesses were less common (8%, 95% CI: 3% to 13% vs 13%, 95% CI: 9% to 17%, respectively; p=0.031). Illnesses accounted for 72% of all problems. The prevalence of all health problems was higher in female than in male skiers (23%, 95% CI: 19% to 27% vs 15%, 95% CI: 11% to 19%; p<0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Health problems, especially illnesses, were relatively common, with approximately one in five skiers (19%) reporting at least one problem in any given week. Both performance level and sex influenced the prevalence of different types of health problems.