Occupational risk in professional athletes.

Abstract

The practice of sport causes positive changes in health and personal appearance. Professional athletes, who practice sport as a means of paid work, are exposed to risks inherent to their profession that can cause damage to their health and even death during sports practice. In the field of occupational health, the issue of occupational risk in professional athletes is little addressed. The present study evidenced the existence of occupational risk in professional athletes and concluded that it is vitally important to carry out initial and periodic medical evaluations of their health status with the aim of detecting physical alterations or diseases that convert the usual sports practice into a risk for your health.