Intensive endurance training has been associated with a high prevalence of symptoms compatible with asthma in elite athletes. It is not known, however, whether there is an association between the type of training for competitive events and the risk of asthma in highly trained athletes.
Two hundred and thirteen track and field athletes, mostly from Finnish national teams, and 124 controls of the same age completed a respiratory symptom questionnaire. Positive answers to physician diagnosed asthma were confirmed by personal interviews. The athletes were divided into two groups depending on whether they were speed and power athletes (n = 106) or long distance runners (n = 107).
According to a logistic regression model the prevalence of physician diagnosed asthma was not associated with age, sex, or a family history of asthma. Long distance runners (OR 6.7; 95% CI 2.1 to 22.1) and speed and power athletes (OR 3.2; 95% CI 0.90 to 11.4) had a higher prevalence of physician diagnosed asthma than control subjects. Physician diagnosed asthma was found in 18 of 107 long distance runners (17%), in nine of 106 speed and power athletes (8%; p = 0.07 (chi 2 test)), and in four of 124 controls (3%; p
Notes
Cites: N Engl J Med. 1977 Oct 6;297(14):743-7895804