exercise-induced asthma?

[ryanspeer]

I did a training ride with a Cat 3 rider (I'm starting as a Cat 5 in '07) a few weeks ago, and although the ride was very doable and I was able to keep pace with him on all but the climbs, I had a very interesting/slightly-concerning episode right towards the end of the ride when we bade each other farewell.

We stood talking for several minutes prior to parting directions, and I was breathing relatively hard considering the riding we'd been doing, but not overly-so (breathing, that is). At one point when I tried to inhale deeply (kind of a cleansing breath more than anything), it felt like my throat constricted for a split second which caused me to cough. I caught my my breath quickly and was able to breath deeply again, but not quite to the depth that I'd been able to previously. I felt fine on the entire ride with no breathing difficulties whatsoever, and don't recall ever having experienced this before, but the constricting of my windpipe was a very UN-natural type of feeling in the "it wasn't just a cough" type of way. I'm not typically asthmatic, but this is about the closest to it that I've ever experienced.

Shortly afterwards I read an article somewhere saying that bronchitis and other windpipe related ailments like this are common among cyclists, but I don't recall ever having experienced this at all in all of my previous years of cycling (in absolutely every range of weather conditions, at that). The ride I just did was in shirtsleeve comfortable weather (low-70's) with no real pre-Autumn chill in the air or anything.

Is this common to anybody? Anything I can/should do to prevent this in the future? I AM getting back into cycling after several years of complete cycling inactivity, and so I'm willing to concede that perhaps my lungs are getting back into shape just as much as my legs are and that I just need to give them time, but still, it was pretty concerning when it happened and I REALLY don't want to go through it again regardless of how short-lived it was.

 

[anthonyg]

Yes I've experienced just this. In my case the cause is magnesium defficiency and its common. Heavy exercise depletes your bodies stores of vitamins and minerals so if your levels were just on the edge before you will be defficient afterwards. It could also be associated with a pain in your neck/shoulders.

Natural magnesium rich foods are green vegetables (try some celery juice as a way of concentrating the magnesium) and soup stock made the traditional way by simmering bones for many hours. You can suppliment with chelated magnesium as well but take note that taking too much magnesium induces loose motions.

http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/article.asp?PageType=Article&ID=541

Regards, Anthony

 

[ryanspeer]

Interesting - thanks. I rode in the late afternoon (pre-dinnertime) timeframe, and so perhaps an energy bar and two bottles (one with sports drink, and another with water) weren't quite enough. I guess I'll have to try journaling my dietary habits a bit to see if there's a connection with that and any future occurrances.

 

[Pharmr]

another thing to consider is the possibility of allergy induced bronchitis....with all that heavy breathing, if there was a high mold, grass, etc. count...that could also cause what you described...and seems more likely.

 

[ryanspeer]

We certainly weren't riding in any sort of urban area. It was definitely rooted out in the "country" with fields, some pastures, etc., around. I am generally allergic to pollens and molds and so this does sound possible.

 

[jhuskey]

My wife has asthma which does not bother her until she is exercising at a high level.
She usually level out after 10 miles or so but still needs the use of an inhaler when climbing hard.
She was born with this condition which apparently diminished a lot during her younger years, but unfortunately, has returned now that she is getting...well more experienced in life.