title: Exercise and other indirect challenges to demonstrate asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in athletes.
abstract: The prevalence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction is reported to be high among recreational and elite athletes, yet diagnosis is often symptom-based. Indirect challenges such as the laboratory exercise challenge provide objective criteria for proper diagnosis and treatment. However, a standardized protocol using appropriate exercise intensity, duration, and dry air inhalation is often not implemented, and thus a false-negative test may result. This article reviews and describes the symptom-based diagnosis, the exercise challenge, and other indirect challenges such as eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea, hypertonic saline inhalation, and inhaled powdered mannitol as methods to diagnose and evaluate exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Advantages and disadvantages of each diagnostic procedure are presented.
authors.affiliation: Human Physiology Laboratory, Keith J. O'Neill Center for Healthy Families, Marywood University, Scranton, PA 18509, USA. Rundell@marywood.edu
authors.forename: Kenneth W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Rundell
authors.forename: Joshua B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Slee
mesh_terms: D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016084:Bronchoconstriction; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008353:Mannitol; D013147:Spirometry; D013177:Sports
chemical_list: D008353:Mannitol; D000249:Adenosine Monophosphate