ELITE sportsmen and women are at risk of damaging their lungs, according to
researchers in Norway and the US.
One major cause is cold, dry air. Ken Rundell of the US Olympic
Committee and his colleagues measured lung function in the American
cross-country ski team. They found that half tested positive for asthma (
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol 32, p 732). The lack of
water triggers an inflammatory response, constricting the airways. Breathing
hard in dry air over long periods, Rundell says, could lead to permanent lung
damage.
In summer training, pollen can also trigger asthma.…
