Asthma from Exercise- The Scourge of Olympians

Some people develop asthma simply from exercising, regardless of age. Within a few minutes after starting to run or beginning any other strenuous exercise, about 10 percent of all asthmatics develop full-blown asthma. Exercise-induced asthma is believed to be caused by the irritation and drying effect of large amounts of air, rapidly inhaled, especially cold, dry air.

Running is the usual cause of exercise-induced asthma. This is true not only for casual runners, but also for highly trained athletes. In a survey of the 1984 summer Olympians, 11% reported history or symptoms of exercised-induced bronchospasm (EIB),another term for asthma. Bicycling is a less common cause of EIB since the bent-at-the-hip position of the biker makes it easier to exhale. Swimmers are taught to control their breathing, to inhale quick and exhale completely in a controlled, rhythmic fashion. This appropriate breathing pattern makes swimming a rare cause of exercise-induced asthma. According to a 1996 study from the Sport Science Center at the University of Delaware, 30% of indoor figure-skating athletes develop EIB while exercising in the cold, damp, and sometimes moldy rink environment. None of this seems to handicap these athletes, especially since medicines that relieve bronchospasm are on the short list of medicines approved by Olympic authorities for use by competitors.