exercise induced asthma

I have had EIA since the fall of 1985. Try a longer, slower warm-up before racing or workouts, then give yourself about 10 minutes rest, then use the final 10 minutes before the gun goes off for strides (more than usual). Racing at even paced efforts also becomes more essential. I have learned to master the art of even pacing since being forced too. If you go out too fast, the results duirng later stages of a race become even worse with EIA. Try some deeper breathing during your warm-up time as well.

Are you are on a steroid inhaler such as Flovent?

Do you train in an area where you are inhaling small

particulate deep into the lungs when running fast?

If the problem is cold dry air you need a more gradual

transition from slow running to maximum speed.

Anti inflammatories such as aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.,

can induce asthma or aggravate E.I.A.

Consuming foods that have sulfites can aggravate asthma.

I read all food labels.

Training with a cold or influenza can aggravate asthma.

Check the air quality index, and avoid training when

pollution is high. You may have to run indoors on a

treadmill when the temperature is high and winds are

non existent.

I also have EIA, and am a Division One runner. Yes their have some races where I completly fell off, like 4 minutes off in an 8k race, but the thing that I learned is to take deep breathes early in your workout and your lungs will feel much better throuhout the run. Personally I think having asthma has encouraged me to run faster, because I always say to myself "if my can breathe okay, that only means i can go faster."

i also have EIA, and am a former division 2 runner. (god, why does that division one crap still bother me?) anyway, in my high school days, i had some horrible races with my chest tightening up during races keeping me from breathing properly. i've dealt with it by first of all getting into a lot better shape. the incidents have decreased dramatically with that alone. i also take as few puffs on my inhaler as possible so that my body doesn't adapt to needing it all the time. even pace is also something that is emphasized in my harder training sessions and racing. staying relaxed is very crucial for me. if i feel tightness in my chest, i can usually fight it off by relaxing and staying smooth. if i panic, that's when it gets worse. it may have actually helped my racing because i know i have to stay relaxed and be patient. one final tip is to try drinking some coffee a couple of hours before hard sessions or racing. i believe there are some studies that support this, but i have not done extensive research. i've experimented a little bit and found that it helps me to have 20-24 ounces of coffee a couple of hours before. hydration then becomes an issue, so i drink a ton of water as well. i feel that my asthma is a total non-factor in my running now. hope you find a way to deal with it. don't be afraid to experiment a little bit and find out what works for you.

I've had EIA for my entire running career and know countless other top end athletes who have it. I find it has no effect on my training and racing if I use my inhaler(albuterol) before any run. My body hasn't built up a tolerance to the medicine, and from my understanding thats not possible. Obviously, you should ask a doctor about your specific case, as they all are different.

Yes, caffeine is similar to theophylline, an old asthma

medication, in structure. I believe they are Adenosine

antagonists.

I stopped medication this week with winds from the north,

and Air Quality Index below 10.

The question is, is the asthma from changes in osmolarity

while exercising, or from inhaling polluting, toxic

chemicals deep into the lungs while running.

Fred has had a couple good posts on this subject.

Personally, I've been dealing with this asthma crap since I was a child. The difference in how I feel with days of using or not using my inhaler is substantial, and it's quite measurable if I watch my heartrate during a given workout. Anyway, I deal with it by making sure I run at times of day when the air quality is better (here in SoCal that's early or late) and in going easy on days when I feel like crap even with the medicine.

As far as I'm aware, the prevailing evidence is for the "small particulates" hypothesis. The two examples that immediately come to mind are: the higher prevalence of asthma in children of "smoking parents" households (my situation; lucky me, my parents quit smoking when I was in college :-(); the higher prevalence of asthma in small children in the Los Angeles area with exposure to low air quality. That second one is why my wife and I will be leaving here as soon as possible with our young daughter. And I guess I better quit with the stogies at home ;-)

I have a touch of it also, and it usually flares up in the fall when the air gets cooler, besides the pre run or pre race use of an inhaler, what works for me is a slow warm mile or so before I crank it up.