Do Any Paris Olympic Athletes Have Asthma?

The Summer Olympics will be taking place in Paris in July. Is anyone lucky enough to attend? I can't wait to see footage of my favorite city. To say I’m jealous of everyone traveling to Paris is an understatement.

My first college degree was in interior design, with a year of architecture classes. My husband also has a background in architecture, so we were like two kids in a candy store the last time we went to Paris. In fact, he took more than 1,000 photos with his fancy-pants camera – no kidding.

But as I'm watching the Olympic trials on TV, it seems as though the athletes are superhuman with no physical flaws.

But did you know that Olympic athletes have medical problems just like everyone else? In fact, asthma is the most common chronic condition among Olympic athletes!¹

How many Olympic athletes have asthma?

The rate of asthma in Olympic athletes is much higher than in the general population. In the United States, 8.3 percent of Americans have asthma, but 16.5 percent of Olympic athletes have asthma. And studies have shown it to be as high as 55 percent! ^2,3

In fact, studies show that some Olympic athletes can actually DEVELOP asthma due to elite training. This may be a new type of asthma. The sports more likely to have athletes that develop asthma while training are those with high endurance sports such as swimming, rowing, cycling, cross country, or biathlon skiers. ³

You may have heard people with asthma say they only have problems when they exercise. It’s called “exercise-induced asthma” or “exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB)." Of course, most people aren’t exercising at the level that Olympic athletes do.

Not only are Olympic athletes training and competing (which can cause an asthma attack) but they can also be exposed to numerous asthma triggers at the Olympics.

Asthma triggers

Heat

Heat is a known asthma trigger. It can affect those competing in Summer Olympic outdoor events like cycling, football (called soccer in the United States), rowing, skateboarding, tennis, or track and field sports.⁴

Humidity

Humidity can also cause an asthma attack. It may impact athletes competing in indoor pools with humid air during events like swimming, diving, and water polo.⁴

Allergies

Allergies can also make asthma worse, as can rhinitis (runny or congested nose, sneezing, and itchy nose.) Athletes in Paris may be exposed to different plants, bushes, trees, or other allergens than they are used to in their home countries.⁵

Germ and illness exposure

The Olympic Villages can also be a haven for all sorts of illnesses thanks to so many people sharing the same bedrooms, bathrooms, lunchrooms, etc. These close quarters can make it easy to pick up germs from other athletes.⁶

Respiratory illnesses are especially hard on the lungs of people with asthma. The Olympics only last a few weeks, so if an athlete is healthy when they arrive in Paris but are then exposed to COVID or another infection and get sick, all their years of training can go down the drain. I have watched many Olympics where an athlete has trained for years only to get sick just before their competition and either perform badly or not be able to compete at all. That must be heartbreaking.

Seeing all the athletes competing at such high levels makes me feel like I should get out and exercise – but in the early morning hours when it's cool! I can at least go for a walk around the block or take a spin on my beach cruiser.

Have any Olympic athletes with asthma inspired you to exercise or try a new sport?