[The influence of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction on participation in organized sport].

Approximately 70-80% of all asthma sufferers develop acute airway obstruction with exercise, while at least 7% of children in the general population develop exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. The purpose of this study was: (i) to determine whether children in the Cape Peninsula who suffer from asthma and/or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction are as inactive and uninvolved in sport as asthmatic children in the USA; and (ii) whether this uninvolvement is a direct result of their susceptibility to exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. An in-depth study was done on the intensity, frequency and level of participation in sport by children with asthma and/or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction compared with a control group of healthy children without a history of asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction. Children with asthma and/or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction generally maintained a similar level of sport participation as healthy children, and only children with serious asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction experienced limitations with regard to physical activity. It was found that, in contrast to children in the USA, non-participation in sport could not be explained by asthma and/or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.