Every breath you take every move you make. Studies on Asthma and Sports in Adolescent Athletes
Author
Summary, in English
Methods: All groups answered a questionnaire to explore the frequency of respiratory symptom, health behaviour and life quality. To assess allergic sensitization, and airway hyper-reactivity skin-prick test, fractionated exhaled nitric oxide, mannitol provocation and exercise challenge tests were used. Clara Cell protein (CC16), 11β-prostaglandin
(11-βPGF2α) and leukotriene E4 (LTE4) were measured in urine as biomarkers reflecting inflammatory reactions in the airways.
Results: Respiratory symptoms and asthma were more common among the athletes and most common among the swimmers. The frequency of positive mannitol provocation test was higher among the swimmers than the tennis players while the number of positive exercise tests did not differ between the groups. There was an
elevation of Clara Cell protein 16 in both groups after exercise challenge test, significantly higher among the tennis players, not seen after the mannitol provocation. Females had a higher frequency of respiratory symptoms and positive provocation tests, despite the same frequency of doctor-diagnosed asthma and asthma treatment. Physical
activity led to a healthier life style and indicated better life quality most prominently among females.
Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of asthma among elite swimmers and tennis players. The swimmers had a higher frequency of respiratory symptoms, current asthma and a higher rate of positive mannitol provocation tests. This may indicate an unfavorable exercise environment where trichloramine might play a role. The discrepancy between respiratory symptoms and airway hyper-reactivity on one hand and doctor-diagnosed asthma on the other could be in line with a tendency of not being sufficiently aware of the asthma diagnosis in females. Physical activity, even among athletes, seems to be a health-promoting factor.
Publishing year
2013
Language
English
Publication/Series
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
Volume
2013:141
Document type
Dissertation
Publisher
Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University
Topic
- Other Clinical Medicine
Keywords
- Adolescence
- asthma
- airway hyper-reactivity
- mannitol provocation
- exercise challenge
- CC16
- gender
- life style
- quality of life
Status
Published
Supervisor
- Leif Bjermer
- Peter Montnemery
- Ellen Tufvesson
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1652-8220
- ISBN: 978-91-87651-16-8
Defence date
13 December 2013
Defence time
10:00
Defence place
Rune Grubb salen BMC Sölvegatan 19 Lund
Opponent
- André Moriera (MD Professor)