Airways Hyperresponsiveness in High School Athletes

Abstract

Adult athletes have a higher prevalence (11%–50%) of exercise‐induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR) than the population at large (7%–11%): reports describing EIB/AHR in adolescent athletes are scant. Hypotheses: 1) a minimum AHR prevalence of 20% would be revealed in a group of high school athletes; 2) demographic data would predict AHR; 3) AHR‐positive athletes would preferentially choose low ventilation sports. Eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea (EVH) was used to test for AHR in 23% of all athletes (79 of 343) of a midwestern high school. The AHR was defined by at least a 10%, 20%, or 25% decline in FEV₁, FEF_25–75, or PEFR at 1, 5, 10, or 15‐min post‐EVH, respectively. Results: 30 of 79 (38%) tested positive for AHR; demographic data tended to predict AHR, as correlations between the total number of years exercised with the greatest decline in FEV₁ and the total number of days exercised with the greatest decline in FEV₁ following the EVH challenge tended to be significant (r = 0.354; p = 0.055 and r = 0.314; p = 0.091, respectively); and 69% of AHR‐positive students played only low ventilation sports. Conclusion: AHR prevalence was 38% in athletes of a midwestern high school; demographic data tended to predict AHR; those with AHR preferentially play low ventilation sports.

• Asthma
• Bronchoconstriction
• Airways hyperresponsiveness
• Sports medicine