According to this article, about 70% of the British National Swim Team and about 1/3 of Team Sky suffers from some form of asthma, typically exercise induced, as demonstrated by physical examination. There has been some speculation in the past that cyclists tended to report asthma at high levels to gain access to inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids, both of which have some potential to improve athletic performance. Common bronchodilators like albuterol inhalers no longer require a therapeutic use exemption and according to Dr. John Dickinson, the primary researcher cited in the article, a surprising number of professional cyclists carry an albuterol inhaler in their jersey pocket. Based on my own very unscientific observations, I would speculate that the number of cyclists who suffer from some wheezing or a tight asthmatic cough after a cyclocross race in cold weather would be well above the numbers cited for Team Sky.
Paula Radcliffe, who has had asthma all her life, leads the women's elite runners at the start of the New York Marathon in 2008.
Photograph: Jason Decrow/AP/theguardian.com
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