Every Breath You Take

American Fitness, Nov, 1998

Exercise-induced asthma is defined as a decrease in lung function following vigorous exercise. It is believed to be caused by the movement of air which dries the mucous linings of the airways, causing a change in their chemical composition. Symptoms may include wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing or tightness in the chest.

Regular exercisers may suffer from a high incidence of exercise-induced asthma. Chronic asthma affects four to seven percent of the general population, and 80% of those individuals have exercise-induced asthma. A recent study at Indiana University School of Medicine shows 36% of 124 figure skaters tested suffered from exercise-induced asthma.