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Exercise-induced asthma. Is gastroesophageal reflux a factor?
R A Wright1, M A Sagatelian, M E Simons
1Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Kentucky 40292, USA.
Digestive Diseases and Sciences
|May 1, 1996
Summary
Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is not linked to exertional gastroesophageal reflux (GER). This study found no significant correlation between GER and EIA in athletes, suggesting other factors influence exercise-induced bronchospasm.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Gastroenterology
- Sports Medicine
Background:
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) can trigger a cholinergic esophagobronchial reflex, causing bronchospasm.
- Exertional GER has been reported, raising questions about its link to exercise-induced asthma (EIA).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential association between exercise-induced asthma (EIA) and exertional gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in athletes.
Main Methods:
- Ten athletes with a history of EIA underwent continuous monitoring of intraesophageal pH, motility, ECG, and oxygen saturation.
- Subjects performed treadmill exercise, followed by spirometry and monitoring for 30 minutes post-exercise.
- Two subjects were retested after a meal to assess postprandial GER and its effect on lung function.
Main Results:
- All subjects showed reduced FEV1 with exercise; however, only half met EIA criteria.
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) was observed in 60% of subjects, but only three had a pathologic degree.
- No significant correlation was found between GER and EIA (P = 0.2).
- EIA correlated inversely with esophageal contraction amplitude (P = 0.029) and directly with multipeaked and prolonged peristaltic contractions (P = 0.08).
Conclusions:
- Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is not associated with exertional gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in athletes.
- Esophageal motility parameters, rather than GER, appear more closely related to EIA.
- Findings suggest that GER is unlikely to be a primary cause of EIA.