Exercise-Induced Asthma in the Olympic Athlete

Health protection of the Olympic athlete.

Protection of the athletes' health is a clearly articulated objective of the International Olympic Committee. Longitudinal surveillance of injuries and illnesses can provide valuable data that may identify high-risk sports and disciplines. This is a foundation for introducing tailored preventive measures. During the XXIX Summer and XXI Winter Games, comprehensive injury and illness recording th...

Physiological monitoring of the Olympic athlete.

As the winning margin in Olympic competition is so small, there is a continuous quest for improvements in the preparation of athletes at this standard. Therefore, even the smallest physiological improvements that result from modifications in training strategy, preparation regime or ergogenic aids are potentially useful. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research data on elite competitors, which...

Exercise-induced asthma: why is it so frequent in Olympic athletes?

In 2008, the PRACTALL initiative, endorsed by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, defined exercise-induced asthma (EIA) as lower airway obstruction and symptoms of cough, wheezing or dyspnea induced by exercise in patients with underlying asthma [1]. The same clinical presentation in individuals without asthma was d...

Abnormal movement of the arytenoid region during exercise presenting as exercise-induced asthma in an adolescent athlete.

A 16-year-old female basketball player presented with a 2 1/2-year history of exercise-induced severe dyspnea, stridor, and mild wheezing that did not respond to prophylactic treatment with beta-agonists and cromolyn. Spirometric data at rest were normal, but flow-volume loops during exercise suggested a variable extrathoracic obstruction. Laryngoscopic evaluation while the patient was riding a...

Exercise-induced asthma: the "silent asthma".