Exercise-induced asthma in the competitive cold weather athlete

Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is a very common condition that affects winter sport athletes at rates as high as 50%. It has become clear that the main etiologic factors in EIA are the extremely low humidity and high respiratory rates in these athletes, which lead to extreme airway drying. New developments in objective testing for this condition have been recently described and are reviewed here. EIA is easily treated with oral and inhaled medications. These medications are closely regulated by the antidoping agencies; therefore, care must be taken by the treating physician to ensure compliance with the latest restrictions.