Exercise and Asthma

Abstract

Transient airway narrowing can occur during or following exercise, a phenomenon called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). The main mechanism of EIB is considered to be airway dehydration, resulting from increased ventilation during exercise. In asthma, such water loss causes an increase in airway fluid osmolarity, inducing airway smooth muscle contraction following the release of mediators from airway inflammatory cells. Asthmatics frequently experience EIB, but it may also be observed in others not reporting asthma symptoms, particularly elite endurance athletes. Individuals with asthma often refrain from performing physical exercise because they fear troublesome respiratory symptoms. However, in addition to its well-known cardiovascular and metabolic benefits, physical training has been shown to be beneficial for asthmatic adults and children in improving asthma control and asthma-related quality of life. Exercise training also reduces the risk of asthma exacerbations, improves exercise capacity, and decreases frequency and severity of EIB. To minimize the risk of EIB, asthma must be well controlled, and specific pharmacological and nonpharmacological preventative measures can be taken. Counterintuitively, in high-level athletes, the development of asthma, airway hyperresponsiveness, and EIB can be promoted by intense training over many years following exposure to environmental conditions, such as cold air, pollutants, and allergens. As for nonathletes, athletes must have optimal asthma control and apply preventative measures against EIB, taking into account antidoping regulations for asthma medications. A better understanding of the impact of exercise on asthma should improve the overall care of asthmatic patients.

Physical Fitness and Locomotor Skills in Children With Esophageal Atresia-A Case Control Pilot Study

“…During or even after exercise, increased ventilation leads to airway dehydration, that may induce bronchial constriction in predisposed individuals. With improving exercise capacity, respiratory rate decreases and symptoms may cease ( 20 ). An adequate preexercise warm-up is substantial in patients with bronchial obstruction.…”

“…An adequate preexercise warm-up is substantial in patients with bronchial obstruction. Other measures to minimize respiratory stress may include adequate use of inhalatory therapy, avoiding sudden changes of temperature, cold (<20°C), very dry or polluted air, and high allergen concentration ( 20 ). Endurance per se , which is closely related to lung function, was not tested in our trial, but parents reported a substantial lack of endurance in comparison to peers in the survey.…”

A Preliminary Spatial Analysis of the Association of Asthma and Traffic-Related Air Pollution in the Metropolitan Area of Calgary, Canada

“…Although pollen types and concentrations vary seasonally and geographically, any kind of pollen can increase the risk of asthma-related hospital visits by 1-14% [55]. However, exercise induced bronchoconstriction can occur in children with asthma due to exercise alone, which can also lead to hospitalizations and emergency room visits [56]. Interestingly, both PM 10 and BTEX can result from biomass combustion, such as forest fires [26][27][28], which are a frequent occurrence in the mountains southwest of Calgary; fire smoke is known to be carried over the metropolitan area by seasonal winds [57,58].…”

Contribution of Host Defence Proteins and Peptides to Host-Microbiota Interactions in Chronic Inflammatory Lung Diseases

“…In addition to the Th2-high asthma in which allergen exposure may be an important trigger, patients can also present with non-allergic/non-atopic asthma. Other asthma endotypes include those triggered for example by exercise [ 19 ] or aspirin [ 20 ], while asthmatics may also present with mixed features of both asthma and COPD (asthma COPD overlap syndrome, or ACOS) [ 21 ]. Although they have many similarities, these manifestations of asthma are increasingly regarded as separate phenotypes [ 22 ].…”