Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in elite long-distance runners in Brazil.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction among elite long-distance runners in Brazil and whether there is a difference in the training loads among athletes with and without exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study involving elite long-distance runners with neither current asthma symptoms nor a diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. All of the participants underwent eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea challenge and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise tests, as well as completing questionnaires regarding asthma symptoms and physical activity, in order to monitor their weekly training load.


RESULTS
Among the 86 male athletes recruited, participation in the study was agreed to by 20, of whom 5 (25%) were subsequently diagnosed with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. There were no differences between the athletes with and without exercise-induced bronchoconstriction regarding anthropometric characteristics, peak oxygen consumption, baseline pulmonary function values, or reported asthma symptoms. The weekly training load was significantly lower among those with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction than among those without.


CONCLUSIONS
In this sample of long-distance runners in Brazil, the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction was high.
Escola de Educação Física e Esporte, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. rereteixeira@hotmail.com
Renata Nakata
RN
Teixeira
Luzimar Raimundo
LR
Teixeira
Luiz Augusto Riani
LA
Costa
Milton Arruda
MA
Martins
Timothy Derick
TD
Mickleborough
Celso Ricardo Fernandes
CR
Carvalho
D000328:Adult; D001250:Asthma, Exercise-Induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D056352:Athletes / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001938:Brazil; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*