Incidence of acute respiratory illnesses in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis by a subgroup of the IOC consensus on 'acute respiratory illness in the athlete'.

Objective: To determine the incidence of acute respiratory illness (ARill) in athletes and by method of diagnosis, anatomical classification, ages, levels of performance and seasons.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Electronic databases: PubMed-Medline, EbscoHost and Web of Science.