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Medical Author:

Dennis Lee, MD

Dennis Lee, MD

Dr. Lee was born in Shanghai, China, and received his college and medical training in the United States. He is fluent in English and three Chinese dialects. He graduated with chemistry departmental honors from Harvey Mudd College. He was appointed president of AOA society at UCLA School of Medicine. He underwent internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

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Medical Author:

George Schiffman, MD, FCCP

George Schiffman, MD, FCCP

Dr. Schiffman received his B.S. degree with High Honors in biology from Hobart College in 1976. He then moved to Chicago where he studied biochemistry at the University of Illinois, Chicago Circle. He attended Rush Medical College where he received his M.D. degree in 1982 and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency at the University of California, Irvine.

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Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Unusual symptoms of asthma
• Can a cough without wheezing be due to asthma?
• Nocturnal asthma
• Masqueraders of asthma
• Cardiac asthma
• Other bronchial conditions
• Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD)
• Other hypersensitivity reactions
• Exercise and sports
• Exercise induced asthma (EIA)
• What causes exercise induced asthma?
• What sports are best suited for exercise induced asthma? What sports are not?
• Ways to prevent and treat exercise induced asthma
• Conditions that may worsen asthma
• Gastroesophageal reflex disease
• The allergic rhinitis-asthma connection
• Sinusitis and asthma
• Air pollution
• Food allergy
• Asthma Complexities At A Glance
• Find a local Asthma & Allergy Specialist in your town
• Asthma Complexities Index

Sports and asthma are not mutually exclusive. In the 1996 Olympic Games, one out of every six athletes had asthma. These Olympians competed in a variety of sports such as track and field, mountain biking, kayaking, cycling, and rowing. The following is an abbreviated list of athletes who have competed despite their asthma.

• Jackie Joyner-Kersee -- track and field



• Jerome Bettis -- NFL running back



• Amy Van Dyken -- swimming



• Dennis Rodman -- NBA basketball



• Ray Bourque -- NHL ice hockey

Exercise is a common trigger for asthma and may cause symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing in 80%-90% of patients with asthma. The symptoms usually start about 10 minutes into the exercise or five to 10 minutes after completing the activity, although some people experience symptoms about four to eight hours after exercise. Although exercise-induced asthma may affect all ages, it is most common in children and young adults. All athletes, from weekend warriors to professionals and Olympians, can be affected.

This common occurrence of exercise-induced asthma among individuals with asthma has led to the misconception that asthmatic patients cannot exercise. As a result, children with asthma often stay in the library or homeroom while the rest of the class is in the gym. Adult asthma patients may attribute their breathing difficulties during exercise to being "out of shape" and hence curtail their level of exercise. For most asthma patients, however, exercise-induced asthma is treatable and preventable, thereby allowing children and adults with asthma to fully participate in sports and exercise. Regular exercise is beneficial for the heart, circulatory system, muscles (including breathing muscles), and mental health, but it will not cure the asthma.

Exercise-induced asthma is diagnosed by a pattern of asthmatic symptoms prompted by exercise. When the diagnosis is unclear, it can be confirmed in a doctor's office by performing breathing tests at rest and after exercise.