Asthma And Exercise - Do They Mix?

If you think asthma and exercise don't mix, take into consideration that there are many professional athletes with asthma. In fact, asthma (especially exercise-induced asthma or EIA) is actually more common in athletes. One study from Oslo, Norway, found that 10 percent of Norwegian elite athletes were asthmatic compared to 6.9 percent of the general population. It is estimated that 4 to 15 percent of Summer Olympics athletes have asthma or use asthma medications. According to one study, "the risk of asthma is especially increased among competitive swimmers, of which 36 percent to 79 percent show bronchial hyperresponsiveness." One interesting study from the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine examined the impact of EIA on army recruits and their ability to perform the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). The authors concluded that EIA "did not hinder their physical performance" and found that there was not a significant difference between the APFT scores of those with EIA and those without.

 

Hyperventilation probably plays a leading role in the increased incidence of asthma in athletes. It is thought that in winter, hyperventilation exposes the athlete's lungs to tremendous volumes of cold, dry air, while in the summer, hyperventilation results in increased exposure to pollen and air pollution—all of which can trigger asthma.

 

 

There is an extensive body of literature documenting the health benefits of exercise and how it can help asthma. According to a study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, "there is substantial evidence that exercise training increases exercise performance and fitness in asthmatics." In asthmatics, heart and lung function improve and medication use declines with exercise.

 

Furthermore, there is evidence that the benefits of exercise for asthma are not short-lived. One study followed thirty-nine mild to moderate asthmatics for three years after they participated in an exercise program. The authors found a significant decrease in the number of emergency-room visits in the three years following the rehabilitation program. There was also a decrease in asthma symptoms in all patients; however, this decrease was significant only in those patients who continued to exercise one to two times weekly.9 Clearly, there are a substantial number of studies documenting that exercise can help people with asthma. So, how should an asthmatic exercise?

The Basics 

There are three basic exercises that everyone, including asthmatics, should do regularly: aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, and stretching. Stretching is the "orphan" of exercise, since few people seem to do it. Stretching is nevertheless important to help prevent injury and is an integral part of many relaxation and breathing techniques, such as yoga, that can help asthmatics. While all three exercises are important, aerobic exercise is probably the most vital for asthmatics. Aerobic exercises like walking, swimming, biking, and running help train your heart and lungs to work as a team. Aerobic exercise will also help your asthma and add healthy, active years to your life.