[The asthmatic child and sports]

Many asthmatic children are more disabled by exercise-induced asthma (EIA) than by other asthmatic attacks. Recent attention has focused on the pathophysiology of EIA and its prevention. Only within the past few years the effects of exercise programs have been examined carefully in children with asthma. Thus, they can increase work tolerance and fitness with a beneficial effect of physical training on EIA. Adequate training intensities would be possible if EIA could be prevented by premedication and if a type of exercise was chosen which gave good cardiopulmonary training. Although swimming is their optimum sport (experience of authors), asthmatic children should be encouraged to embrace a full and varied program of sport. Many sportsmen and women who have asthma are able to compete at the highest level and gain olympic and world honours.