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July 22, 2008

Exercise isn't always good for you

As someone with exercise induced asthma, I assumed that top athlete were the sorts of people with much healthier pulminary systems. It turns out however, that Asthma is more common among top athletes that it is in the general public!

One indication of the prevalence of asthma among elite athletes came when researchers tested every athlete in seven sports on the 1998 United States Winter Olympic team — biathlon, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, long-track speedskating and short-track speedskating. Nearly a quarter of the athletes, including half of the cross-country skiers, had asthma. In comparison, about 5 percent of the general population has asthma. ... Asthma is especially prevalent in swimming, distance running, cycling and skiing. That may be because those athletes are exposed to pollutants and dry air, said Dr. Thomas Casale, the chief of allergy and immunology at Creighton University in Omaha. Those who are prone to asthma, he said, can have airways that are especially sensitive to irritants.
Asthma Medications: Not a Clear Advantage

Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be evidence that people are taking the asthma medicine as a performance enhancer. Why? Because the inhaled medicines don't enhance performance. Contrast that with drugs like clenbuterol that both treats a medical disorder in horses and is performance enhancing and which have become major problems in the sport of horse racing.

Posted by OneEyedMan at July 22, 2008 6:27 AM

Comments

There have also been suggestions that asthma is passed down through genetics. It is conceivable that top athletes with asthma with have progeny with asthma and also with the genetic potential to be top athletes and strongly encourage exercise and participation in sport at a young age. If those make up the future pool of top athletes, it seems likely that many of them will have asthma and the numbers will increase through generations.

Posted by: BlueEyedGirl [TypeKey Profile Page] at July 22, 2008 3:28 PM

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