Asthma Medication as Doping Agent?

Prospective Students Students and Doctorate Alumni and Supporters Continuing Education - Study by Ulm University Medical Center examines effect of asthma medication on athletic performance / Cooperation with Freie Universität Berlin and German Sport University Cologne No 265/2019 from Sep 12, 2019 A new study conducted this year by the Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine Unit at Ulm University Medical Center is examining how asthma medications affect athletic performance in professional athletes. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has provided 315,000 dollars in funding for the study. "Asthma inhaler use is common among competitive athletes, which suggests that there may be performance-enhancing side effects," says Dr. Jürgen Steinacker, a professor and head of the Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine Unit at Ulm University Medical Center. For example, asthma inhalers could affect the muscles, stimulating their growth. However, there are also specific groups of athletes, such as cross-country skiers and bicyclists, who increasingly suffer from asthma due to frequently inhaling cold or dusty air, which can provoke respiratory problems. So far, certain asthma sprays have not been banned in competitive sports, but their use is restricted. The studies on the use of asthma inhalers in competitive sports to date do not show that there are side effects on the muscles, Steinacker says.