参加奥运会的运动员好像是心血管系统和呼吸系统的超级英雄。但一项发表在BRIT J SPORT MED杂志的新研究显示，每12个参加奥运会的运动员中就有一个在进行哮喘治疗。

20世纪90年代中期以来，进行哮喘治疗的奥运会运动员数量不断上升。因此，国际奥委会现在要求运动员之前提供医疗哮喘的诊断证明，才让他们在比赛期间使用药物吸入器。 寒冷和污染的空气均使哮喘的风险增加，对冬季和夏季奥运会的运动员都有影响。危险的臭氧和特殊的致敏物在温暖的天气更为严重，所以参加夏季奥运会的运动员更容易患哮喘。冬季活动，如越野滑雪，也可以通过冷空气和冰粒损害呼吸道。

患有哮喘的运动员有更大的机会获胜，但这并不是因为治疗药物提高了其运动能力。哮喘更常发生在年长些的耐力运动员，这表明多年的强化训练，可能应该为哮喘发生的原因，同时这也是这些运动员更易获胜的法宝。编译自Many Olympians Suffer From Asthma

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2011.10.017PMC:PMID:

An overview of asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness in Olympic athletes

Kenneth D Fitch

Data from the past five Olympic Games obtained from athletes seeking to inhale β2 adrenoceptor agonists (IBA) have identified those athletes with documented asthma and airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR). With a prevalence of about 8%, asthma/AHR is the commonest chronic medical condition experienced by Olympic athletes. In Summer and Winter athletes, there is a marked preponderance of asthma/AHR in endurance-trained athletes. The relatively late onset of asthma/AHR in many older athletes is suggestive that years of endurance training may be a contributory cause. Inspiring polluted or cold air is considered a significant aetiological factor in some but not all sports. During the last five Olympic Games, there has been improved management of athletes with asthma/AHR with a much higher proportion of athletes combining inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with IBA and few using long-acting IBA as monotherapy. Athletes with asthma/AHR have consistently outperformed their peers, which research suggests is not due to their treatment enhancing sports performance. Research is necessary to determine how many athletes will continue to experience asthma/AHR in the years after they cease intensive endurance training.