INHALERS=UNFAIR!!!!

My experience with asthma:

I've been running for more than 6 years and i was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma 6 years before i started running. In the past i've had to drop out of many workouts and races because i couldnt breathe. I would use my inhaler, but even then it would take a while for me to regain composure and breathe normally. I was so passionate about running but so frustrated that asthma prevented me from running my best. This sounds stupid but i've been brought to tears because of it before - i was just on an easy run and had to stop. I didn't quit though. Now i'm a soph in college, i'm on advair 100 during the off season and advair 250 during season. My asthma is under much better control. I still have problems, but rarely, and when i do, it's always in a cross country race, and i still finish, albeit much slower than usual. I use my inhaler 10 mins before every race but obviously it's still not a 100% guarantee. I never use my inhaler before workouts but my performances in workouts match up with my performances in races. None of my teammates accuse me of cheating.

My brother has severe asthma and he agrees with Skeptic. He is captain of his college team, so he is a fairly legitimate runner. However, I tend to agree with fred. I run with him sometimes and I know that he works harder than anyone else I have ever run with. He developed asthma in HS and has gotten significantly slower since then. As a collegiate runner he is significantly slower than he was his freshman year of HS. He refuses to use his inhaler, even when he has asthma attacks. He has always been able to get it under control, although he did pass out once. I am not sure if this is typically possible. I certainty feel like he is going to die. His asthma may be more or less severe than what is typical. He does get significantly out of breath from WALKING up a flight of stairs, despite being a college runner. He also cannot talk when he runs, no matter how easy the pace is. The doctor offered to write a note to his gym teacher to excuse him from PE, although I think this probably speaks to his incompetence more than anything else.It's a matter of opinion, of course, although they are not banned. I don't think I would use an inhaler either, but what happens if this opinion becomes widespread and HS coaches discourage them (maybe covertly or even subconsciously)? Do kids RISK THEIR LIVES because they feel like there is an ethical issue? Should they stop running altogether? Does it differ at the elite level? Should it? There were 700 athletes in London (~7%) that were diagnosed with asthma. Does this indicate that athletes feel like inhalers provide an advantage? These athletes were more likely to medal than their peers. Article summarizing study that shows asthma medication likely is not a performance enhancer: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/fitness/why-asthma-doesnt-stop-elite-athletes/article4445211/Interesting Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21200170

fred wrote:

Skeptic of it All wrote:

Inhalers help those with asthma, which is cheating. Their genetics and body is weak and need artificial means to be "normal." In my opinion there should be no chemical enhancement or medication of any kind. But I'm in the minority there. You should run with what nature, or God, or whatever gave you.

Yeah, it's better to not use the inhaler, and die instead

Here is another study that shows that they provide no competitive advantage.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17241101

Please don't let your jealously/opinion get in the way of the facts.

On average I preform slightly worse when I use an inhaler, so I normally avoid using it unless I sense I am on the verge of a flare-up. After many years with this condition I have learned to recognize the feelings and situations where a problem is most likely to occur. I have been caught by surprise a couple of times and it is be extremely scary. Imagine trying to breath through a small drinking straw.

I maybe use it 1 time out of 15 races. Out of all the times I have used it, I have never been close to a PR at any distance.

Skeptic of it All wrote:

Inhalers help those with asthma, which is cheating. Their genetics and body is weak and need artificial means to be "normal." In my opinion there should be no chemical enhancement or medication of any kind. But I'm in the minority there. You should run with what nature, or God, or whatever gave you.

This is the rational that athletes have. Lance Armstrong used epo and testosterone under the precept in with one nut he was just getting back to normal.

Both are cheating.

You said that the genetics of people who have asthma are weak. Did you know Haile Gebrselassie has asthma? That's what caused him to skip out on the marathon in the Beijing Olympics. I guess that makes him weak though, huh?

There should be no medication of any kind? Are you aware that medication has saved countless lives? I believe God has done great things through many humans and one such thing is the creation of medication.

As a D2 All American runner, I have differed opinions from the rest. 1) Inhalers give advantages. Period. Kids that dont use them dont get a benefit.... its like saying the slower person is at a disadvantage let them cut the course 2) Some people NEED them... Lets not forget some people absolutely need them. 3) I believe the point of this thread was to call out inhaler users who dont actually need them. THAT in my opinion is wrong.... Kids and parents shouldnt get the thought that they need to use inhalers to be the best... 4) As stated, I am a d2 all american runner and I have never used any drugs inhalers pills etc at all!!!

Overall, yes inhalers give advantages.... yes, many people that have them dont actually need them..... yes, some people do and they should use them due to a safety risk.... Overall my opinion is that they are not fair but the main problem is doctors who prescribe them to anyone and not just the small minority of people that need them!

I agree - If you have an injury due to natural bio-mechanical flaws, should you not be able to use anti-inflammatory meds to get through it? Is that unfair? How about corrective orthotics or shoes that allow a runner to reduce injuries?

runnnnnnn800 wrote:

Disagree with both of yall. You will not sway my opinion... you guys are just mad that I am calling yall out on your unfair advantage. BTW I got a 97 for the 1st semester in BC Calculus as a junior....

I can only assume you're trolling. But please, humor us and provide some evidence behind your "disagreement." I would love to have my opinion swayed.

Completely disagree with your logic.... Doesnt even make any sense....

Darrell F. wrote:

I know a runner who has a TUE for Albuterol. He insists that it is a performance enhancer.

I have an albuterol inhaler (that I admittedly don't "need") and I find that it helps with short term recovery after intervals and races.

We're talking about competition here, not day to day life. Yes medicine and medical advancement is good and saves lives.

As for Geb, if he has asthma and can't run, then from an evolutionary standpoint yes, that is a genetic weakness. As I said, I am in the minority here but I am a purest in the sense that no chemical should be used in athletics. Asthma medication enhances the performance of those individuals taking it. If it increases that individuals lung capacity 30% is that fair to the others not needing it.

Again, this is the thought process that drug cheats use to justify taking PEDs. They are "leveling the playing field."

As I mentioned, Lance had one nut, took testosterone to "just be normal." Is that fair?

agreed you can go on and on about leveling the playing field.... run with what you got the end

Stupidest post I've seen in over 2 years. Let me guess, you've received all your major vaccinations to protect you from what used to be life-threatening infections and diseases, right? OH, and you sleep in a temperature-controlled home, too, don't you. You're a real snake, you are. I also bet you stockpile healthy, expensive, performance boosting meats, fruits, and veggies in your climate-controlled fridge and freezer, too. Also, to save energy for your workouts you DRIVE your car to work. Yeah, those people who literally cannot breathe during exercise without an inhaler? Scumbag cheaters just looking for an advantage.

Skeptic of it All wrote:

Inhalers help those with asthma, which is cheating. Their genetics and body is weak and need artificial means to be "normal." In my opinion there should be no chemical enhancement or medication of any kind. But I'm in the minority there. You should run with what nature, or God, or whatever gave you.

This is the rational that athletes have. Lance Armstrong used epo and testosterone under the precept in with one nut he was just getting back to normal.

Both are cheating.

Congrats on the BC calc grade! I think if you were to apply a partial derivative to the problem at hand you could solve this issue quite quickly.

This isn't an opinion issue. There is scientific evidence that shows the medication does not enhance performance.

I get that letsrun is obsessed with calling everything drug cheating, but this is taking it too far.

I had asthma from age 3 to 5. During that time my parents took me to doctors and used all the treatments they promoted, including giving me shots at home, and a vaporizer that made me miserable. I would fight and scream when they gave me the shots, and then run around the house screaming afterwards. Nothing worked, the asthma kept getting worse and I was having a very hard time breathing. My mom told me recently she would hold me in her arms and was afraid I was going to die. One of the times I was running around I bumped the table, the syrings fell off and broke. I kept screaming so they decided to stop and see what happened.

I figured that if I could compress the tubules in my lungs, as much as possible, i.e. isolate and compress the congestion that I felt, that the tubules would open up when I breathed normally. I tried this, by forcing the air out out out out out of my lungs, out out out, to the point that my face would turn red. My mom would scream at me to stop, so I did it more and would fall on the floor, and the asthma went away. I never had asthma again after age 5.

In high school my favorite class was study hall, because I could time myself holding my breath, and then I went out for track and won my first league championship in 10th grade. I'm convinced that had a lot to do with my breathing.

Anything like pollen or other pollutants in the air does affect me, and can almost stop me from running completely. However I have never used any medications or inhalers for my breathing. Yes the pollution can stop me from running well, or even running at all without feeling exhausted, but I never have an asthma attack.

The reason is because I'm convinced that asthma is not caused by pollutants, nor by any condition, but simply by improper breathing.

The doctorquack's advice is to breath more, and take medications, which is exactly the cause of the asthma.

The solution is to do the exact opposite, and breath less!

Breathing too much causes the carbon dioxide to wash out of the cells, and then o2 transport becomes impossible, which is what causes the asthma attacks. Notice when people have attacks, panic attacks the same thing, it is only when they become exhausted and can't keep overbreathing anymore that they stop and recover. If they just did that in the first place, the attacks would not happen.

Check this link for the relationship between chlorine and breathing. The chlorine in showers has been bothering me for years. I finally put a carbon block filter in front of the house to remove it.

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?board=1&id=5640820&thread=5640820#5640820

Darrell F. wrote:

I know a runner who has a TUE for Albuterol. He insists that it is a performance enhancer.

You are lying. Albuterol does not require a TUE unless used in excess of 1600mcg per day.

How much albuterol do you claim this "runner" is using?

This trolling is incredibly weak.