Asthma and Sports? In the past, doctors strictly forbade people with asthma to exercise more intensely and vigorously so as not to provoke an asthma attack. It is now known how important regular sports are for such people to strengthen their lungs and keep them in good shape.
“Intense exercise can trigger asthma,” say Dutch scientists. This is especially true for long-term training in cycling, running and swimming. The conclusion is from a study conducted during the Olympic Games in the last twenty years.
Athletes take more breaths per minute than usual. A running athlete does 30 breaths per minute: twice as many as under normal conditions.
Top athletes often train seven days a week, which is a huge burden on their lungs. More frequent inhalations lead to hypothermia and “drying” of the lungs, which leads to inflammation. Very often, athletes do not recognize asthma in their complaints and are not treated, and proper treatment could improve their results. Most athletes believe that treating their asthma complaints is not allowed because asthma medications are on the doping lists. However, according to the directives, their use is allowed if asthma is diagnosed.
Table of Contents
Bronchial asthma
It is a chronic allergic lung disease that presents with bouts of shortness of breath and suffocation and a dry cough as a reaction to an allergen or as a result of a cold, exercise or emotional stress.
Signs
- Cough – In most asthmatics, the cough is constant and painful. The condition can worsen in cold air, after physical work, and also at night;
- Chest heaviness – occurs after physical exertion and is common in most asthmatics. Often patients suffer from severe breathing difficulties due to difficulty in exhaling the inhaled air;
- Choking – it is the basis of shortness of breath. Narrowing of the airways makes it difficult for air to pass through and breathing becomes more frequent;
- Wheezing – Most asthmatics make wheezing when breathing.
Who gets asthma?
People of any age can get asthma, but 50% of all sufferers are children, mostly boys under 10 years of age. Women are more likely to get sick in adults.
Treatment
The treatment of bronchial asthma is a long process that requires constant medical supervision and high responsibility of the patient. The action of anti-asthmatic drugs is aimed at eliminating attacks and prevention. Therefore, doctors pay much more attention to the prevention of seizures, if possible – non-drug. And prevention includes measures to eliminate the causes that cause deterioration of the patient’s condition. It’s about a healthy lifestyle – no smoking, clean workplace, access to fresh air. It is necessary for every asthmatic to “know” his allergen and to avoid it:
- pets (stop contact with them);
- down pillows and bed linen;
- perfumes and other cosmetics;
- floral pollen;
- some drugs, especially painkillers;
- food products – honey, citrus fruits, walnuts, chocolate, etc.
The delusion of asthma and sports
Fortunately, asthma is no longer considered a sentence that forcibly deprives a person of sports for life. Healthy lifestyles, exercise, hardening, salt chambers and other alternative methods cannot completely replace drug therapy, but help to improve the quality of life of patients.
Sport is useful, especially in the early stages. During exacerbations, however, it is better to refrain from intense exercise.
Exercise is highly recommended!
Sport not only helps asthma sufferers control the disease, but also improves breathing. Exercise is extremely helpful, whether you have asthma or not. From bowling to vigorous cycling, the sport entertains us and helps us feel good. Of course, consider your level of physical fitness, as well as make sure that the inhaler or other specific medications you use are at hand.
Whatever the sport, warm up well beforehand – this reduces the likelihood of an asthma attack. If you notice that you are performing the same exercise harder and harder, this may be a sign that your asthma is getting worse – contact your doctor. And then the question arises: What sport to choose?
What is the best sport for people with asthma?
It is a sport that makes you feel good and safe, and at the same time entertains you. If your asthma is under control and does not worsen, there are virtually no restrictions on your choice. However, if you are not sure, discuss the various options with your doctor. Tell your instructor (if you have one) about your illness. There are sports that are especially suitable for asthmatics:
Yoga
Yoga – This relaxing form of physical activity can begin at any age. In addition, it has been shown to have an additional beneficial effect on therapeutic therapy.
Swimming
Swimming – In principle, this is the most suitable sport for people with asthma. Swimming in an outdoor pool is an ideal choice, as the air is warm and humid, respectively, and less irritating to the respiratory tract. In addition, swimming tones the whole body and improves breathing. Be careful with cold or lukewarm water, as well as with chlorine used to disinfect pool water, which can provoke symptoms.
Team games
This is a good idea for athletes with asthma, as team play involves frequent short breaks, which prove useful during longer periods of exercise.
Which sports to avoid?
Indeed, some sports carry an increased risk for asthmatics. Be careful about:
Diving
If you have asthma, it doesn’t mean you can’t dive. However, it is extremely important that the disease is well controlled, otherwise the risks are very high. You must have the appropriate medication and have an experienced doctor nearby.
Sports related to bulk equipment
This is skiing, rock climbing and more. One of the biggest difficulties is that medicines can be difficult to access or scatter. By adding cold and thinner air at higher altitudes, the problems for asthmatics increase. Make sure you bring enough and appropriate medications, prepare an emergency action plan, if possible together with a doctor.
When to be careful?
- In many cases, cold and dry air worsens the condition. Running at such a time is not a good idea.
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If pollen is one of your irritants, avoid playing sports outside during flowering grasses.
- If you currently have a cold, your airways are more sensitive, even without physical exertion. Do not exercise in such a case.
Why does sport provoke asthma symptoms and what is EIA (exercise-induced asthma)?
About 70 to 80% of people with asthma find an increase in symptoms in sports – the so-called. EIA (exercise-induced asthma). In this disease, the airways are irritated, which makes them very sensitive to any change in humidity, temperature and concentration of dust particles in the air. The exact cause of exercise-induced asthma is not entirely clear. Accelerated airflow through the airways, especially if cold and dry, is thought to cause a negative reaction on the part of the lungs.
Can symptoms be prevented?
Prevention every day – if you use such a drug, be sure that you really take it regularly every day. This will suppress the inflammation of the lungs. Just before exercise, use your usual spray inhaler – you can do two sprays. This would prevent the symptoms from occurring.
If they do occur, do another injection, but this is also a sign that your asthma is not well controlled. Sodium cromoglucate (Intal) prevents symptoms, but should be used about 30 minutes before the start of exercise, and is not suitable for use if the condition has already occurred. Dry and cold air provokes EIA. Outdoor exercise at this time, as well as mouth breathing, should be avoided.
Intake of air through the nose moisturizes and warms it before it reaches the lungs. EIA symptoms typically occur 3 to 8 minutes after the start of exercise, and may persist for 20 to 30 minutes. They range from mild to acute and include coughing, sneezing, heaviness and chest pain, rapid breathing, and weakness. Warming up is mandatory! Be sure to warm up well – this would prevent further complications during sports.
How do EIA attacks happen?
About 80-90% of people with chronic asthma have EIA. EIA can also occur in people without proven chronic asthma. During an asthma attack, the bronchial tract is partially blocked. The irritant (eg pollen) provokes the release of histamine and other chemicals in the lungs by the immune system. This leads to swelling and swelling of the airways and constriction of the small bronchioles – bronchospasm, and a mucous secretion is formed, which further complicates breathing.
In about half of chronic asthmatics, the primary attack (known as the “early response”) is followed by a delayed response (“late response”). Some experts believe that EIA is different from chronic asthma because exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIA) does not cause pneumonia, and there is no late response. In asthma, the problem is not in the air reaching the lungs, but in exhaling it through the hypersensitive and irritated airways. It becomes impossible to take a breath after the previous breath cannot be exhaled.
EIA drugs
These are inhaled corticosteroids (“preventers”) that must be taken for 2-3 months to give their full effect. Other medicines that are taken in parallel are long-acting beta-2-agonists (“symptom controllers”). and short-acting beta-2-agonists (“relievers”), which are used just before training.Other preparations are sodium chromoglucate (Intal, Intal Forte), nedochromil (Tilade), montelukast (Singulair) zafirlukast (Accolate).
Antiasthmatic drugs and rules in sports
A key point in the asthma-sports combination is the knowledge of the conditions for the application of anti-asthmatic drugs. Any medicine you take, whether prescribed by a doctor or not, is evaluated by national sports organizations in terms of:
- its connection with the respective sport;
- is it allowed in this sport under the specific conditions;
- is it allowed in this sport at all.
EIA prevention
- maintain a healthy and trained body;
- exercise in a warm and humid environment;
- avoid physical activity in an environment containing allergens and other irritants;
- try to breathe only through the nose;
- warm up before exercise.
Asthma and sports can be successfully combined with well-controlled asthma and compliance with drug restrictions. According to studies, 10 to 12% of athletes have an EIA. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, 67 of the 597 US team members suffered from EIA … and won 41 medals.
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