How many elites have genuine asthma and have to use inhalers? It must be a disproportionate malady among really great swimmers, because a lot of them seem to have a malady that requires an inhaler. Is this a form of performance enhancement?Albuterol, the most commonly prescribed inhaler, is a "borderline" substance. "Borderline" means you don't need a TUE unless you're a heavy user (more than ~14 puffs a day at the normal dosage-per-puff). In normally prescribed concentrations, it does not enhance an athletes performance. It does prevent performance degradation due to Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction (commonly, but improperly, called exercise induced asthma) which is a real thing. Certain airborne allergens, including chloramines, can trigger or aggravate EIB. This may be why its so common among swimmers.
I sometimes suffer from EIB, especially in "allergy season," so I have a prescription for Albuterol. I typically take two puffs before exercise. If I forget, and there are no triggering allergens, I don't even notice. I can perform at the same peak level. If there are allergens in the air, however, I lose performance and, in some cases, have to abandon my workout all together.
How many elites have genuine asthma and have to use inhalers? It must be a disproportionate malady among really great swimmers, because a lot of them seem to have a malady that requires an inhaler. Is this a form of performance enhancement?Albuterol, the most commonly prescribed inhaler, is a "borderline" substance. "Borderline" means you don't need a TUE unless you're a heavy user (more than ~14 puffs a day at the normal dosage-per-puff). In normally prescribed concentrations, it does not enhance an athletes performance. It does prevent performance degradation due to Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction (commonly, but improperly, called exercise induced asthma) which is a real thing. Certain airborne allergens, including chloramines, can trigger or aggravate EIB. This may be why its so common among swimmers.
I sometimes suffer from EIB, especially in "allergy season," so I have a prescription for Albuterol. I typically take two puffs before exercise. If I forget, and there are no triggering allergens, I don't even notice. I can perform at the same peak level. If there are allergens in the air, however, I lose performance and, in some cases, have to abandon my workout all together.
