Sensitization to common allergens and allergic diseases have a very high and increasing prevalence in any population sample, particularly in elite athletes and in non competitive exercisers. The prevalence of asthma in athletes is higher than in the general population. In summer sports it ranges between 3.7 and 22.8 %. In winter sports, the prevalence is even higher, ranging from 2.8 to 54.8%. Asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness are most commonly found in athletes performing endurance activities, such as cross-country skiing, swimming and long distance running. In swimmers who stopped intense training asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness attenuated or even disappeared, while symptoms increased and eosinophilic airway inflammation was aggravated among swimmers who remained active during the 5-yr follow-up irrespective of asthma treatment (Helenius et al., 2002). The risk for asthma is closely associated with atopy. Rhinitis also occurs very frequently in athletes, its prevalence in various studies being dependent on the criteria used for diagnosis. As for asthma, the prevalence of allergic rhinitis seems to be on the increase since the reported prevalence in the 80`s (8.0%) more than doubled in 1996 (19.6%). Allergic rhinitis has been shown to have negative effects on quality of life and performance, particularly over the spring season. Moreover, rhinitic athletes often have exercise-induced asthma. Therefore, every rhinitic athlete should be screened for asthma and bronchial hyperresponsiveness according to the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines. The lack of a common nomenclature and standardized diagnostic procedures and flow charts makes particularly difficult to determine the prevalence of conjunctivitis in elite athletes. This was 18.8% in our study of 265 Italian Olympic athletes. Because of the high prevalence and effects on performance, allergy should be routinely investigated in athletes, with a careful history taking and/or structured validated questionnaires, skin prick tests and accurate medical examination of target organs. Asthma diagnosis should include spirometry at rest, reversibility, test with a bronchodilator and/or direct or indirect bronchial provocation tests. Asthma and allergy treatment in sports implies particular considerations since several drugs, recommended for these conditions by international guidelines, are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and/or could negatively interfere on performance.
© Copyright 2007 12th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, Jyväskylä, Finland - July 11-14th 2007. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.