Screening English Premier League football players for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is closely related to asthma and is defined as a transient narrowing of the airways, limiting expiration that usually follows a bout of exercise, and is reversible spontaneously or through inhalation of β₂-Agonists (Anderson, 1997). The prevalence of EIB in elite sport has been reported to range between 10–50% depending on the sport (Dickinson et al., 2005). Athletes are at a higher risk of EIB if they participate in sports that require high minute ventilation (Bougault et al, 2009) or take place in environments which are dry (Evans et al., 2005) or polluted (Rundell et al., 2004). Individual factors such as atopy can also influence EIB prevalence and severity (Helenius et al., 1998).