Sport for the transplant athlete-just harmless fun or a valuable tool?

The persisting handicaps to full physical, mental and social rehabilitation in the recipient of a successful transplant are outlined. The benefit derived from sport with reference to the Transplant Games is summarized. An appreciation of the papers in this issue of the Annals of Transplantation is given. They were presented at the Second International Symposium on Sport and Transplantation held in conjunction with The European Society of Organ Transplantation on October 19th 2005 in Geneva. The conclusion drawn is that the muscles of patients who have suffered end stage disease of a vital organ do not recover rapidly or spontaneously after a successful transplant and that the depression of VO2 Max gives a documented indication of this fact. The good news, however, is that appropriate physical activity and exercise is highly effective in overcoming the deficit and sport is a vital component in the rehabilitation of the transplant recipient.