Irish elite sports company Orreco shares its guidance to reduce risk over COVID-19 pandemic

Galway-headquartered biomarker and sports performance company Orreco is used to advising top athletes about how to protect their health.

It created the acclaimed FitrWoman app and provides bioanalytics to teams and athletes such as the US Women’s World Cup winning soccer team, Newcastle United, the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and golfer ‘s Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell.

Now the company is sharing some of the guidance it has put together – for its elite sports customers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic – with the general public.

The handy guide – for sticking on the fridge or sharing on social media  – is aimed at giving users an easy-to-follow plan to prevent infection and maximise individual and family wellbeing.

With large parts of the population staying home, Orreco’s top tips include avoiding behaviours that can suppress the immune system, which can lead to illness.

As well as maintaining good hygiene practice, it recommends taking measures to boost immune health such as:

• Do not experiment with diets that restrict calories; this puts your immune system at risk
• Ensure you are consuming adequate protein and carbohydrates to support recovery
• Cut back on alcohol; it disrupts sleep and lowers immunity
• Consume plenty of vegetables and fruit to maintain the intake of vitamins and other micronutrients to support immune health. The polyphenols in fruits and veg have proven anti-viral properties and can reduce the risk of contracting upper respiratory tract infections
• Stay well hydrated – and put reusable water bottles through the dishwasher daily to kill infections
• Increase your Vitamin D intake by getting outside during daylight hours – but maintaining your social distance.

Orreco also advises of the importance of rest and recovery during this time – especially if you are exercising. Exercise, Orreco’s experts say, stimulates your immune system and protects against infection – but only if you are resting and recovering. Chronic overload without adequate rest compromises immunity. The company recommends:

• Getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night
• Managing excessive stress by using techniques like mindfulness and meditation to help reduce stress

Orreco CEO Dr Brian Moore said: “We are used to helping elite athletes manage their health and optimise their performance and now, during this very challenging time, we want to help everyone out there with a little practical advice and some simple steps they and their families can take.

“We know that many of these steps really work if applied. With this simple guide that combines pro-tips and good hygiene etiquette, our goal is to keep people healthy, which can help take the pressure off our busy health system.”