Asthma in elite athletes. (June 2011)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Elers, Jimmi; Pedersen, Lars; Backer, Vibeke
• Is Part Of: Expert review of respiratory medicine. Volume 5:Number 3(2010)
• Page Start: 343
• Page End: 351
• Publication Date: 2011-06
• Subjects: asthma -- elite athletes -- treatment -- TUE -- VCD; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; 616.2005
• DOI: 10.1586/ers.11.28
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-6348

Abstract

Asthma is frequently found among elite athletes performing endurance sports such as swimming, rowing and cross-country skiing. Although these athletes often report symptoms while exercising, they seldom have symptoms at rest. Moreover, compared with nonathletic asthmatic individuals, elite athletes have been shown to have a different distribution of airway inflammation and unequal response to bronchial provocative test. Elite athletes display signs of exercise-induced symptoms, for example, nonasthmatic inspiratory wheeze, vocal cord dysfunction and cardiac arrhythmias, which could limit their physical capacity. Elite athletes should undergo comprehensive assessment to confirm an asthma diagnosis and determine its degree of severity. Treatment should be as for any other asthmatic individual, including the use of ββ2-agonist, inhaled steroid as well as leukotriene-antagonist. It should, however, be noted that daily use of ββ-agonists could expose elite athletes to the risk of developing tolerance towards these drugs. Use of ββ2-agonist should be replaced with daily inhaled corticosteroid treatment, the most important treatment of exercise-induced asthma. All physicians treating asthma should be aware of the doping aspects. Systemic ββ2-agonist intake is strictly prohibited, whereas inhaled treatment is allowed in therapeutic doses when asthma is documented and dispensation has been granted when needed.