Asthma May Be an Issue for Athletes in Beijing

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

29 Jun 2008 07:16 AM

Olympic athletes with exercise-induced asthma may face two problems at the Games in Beijing: competing in one of the most polluted cities in the world and finding an asthma medication that is allowed under anti-doping regulations.

Talk about a double whammy!

Over the last decade, Beijing has spent more than seventeen billion dollars on pollution clean-up. But the site of the Summer Games is still known as one of the worst cities in the world for air quality. During the Olympic Games, the city will be cutting the number of cars on the road -- a good start, but it may not be enough for athletes with asthma. Construction sites and factories spew plenty of contaminants into the air already. Combine that with vehicle emissions and hot, sticky weather and you have an equation for lung problems.

Exercise-induced asthma is a condition where people inhale contaminants in the air during exercise. This inflames the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. Some athletes can keep going and some can't.

Some asthmatic athletes are already rethinking the competitions they hope to enter. One Ethiopian marathon runner has already dropped out of the Olympic marathon, but plans to give the 10,000 meters his best effort.

Olympic teams are working to diagnose athletes who may have exercise-induced asthma and get them on an allowed medication. Many popular asthma medications (known as beta-2 agonists) are not allowed under the anti-doping regulations. These beta-2 agonists work by copying the effects of some naturally produced chemicals in order to open up the airways. Although therapeutic doses used to treat asthma don't have any performance-enhancing effects, the International Olympic Committee wants to make certain that ONLY athletes who need the medications can use them during the Games.

Athletes can apply for an exemption and get a waiver for using their asthma medication from the International Olympic Committee. The number of athletes applying for exemptions has gone up over the past twenty years. Just under two percent of athletes in the 1984 games were granted exemptions; in 2004, more than seven percent of athletes were granted exemptions.

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