Respiratory Health of Elite Athletes

Eleven National Sports Teams are located in the Quebec Metropolitan Area. In these groups, many athletes are aiming for Olympic medals in Beijing 2008 and Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. A consultation of the coaches of these National Teams revealed that although a large proportion of these athletes present various cardio-respiratory symptoms, they do not have a rapid access to a systematic medical evaluation and follow-up. Furthermore, little is done in regard to prevention and optimization of treatment of pulmonary and cardiac conditions in the elite athlete's population of the Quebec area.

Cardiorespiratory problems are therefore commonly found in high-level athletes. However, these pathologies are not well characterized in athletes and the associated symptoms often not well perceived. These problems can be serious and it is important to detect them before they appear1 while setting up a systematic medical follow-up. Health professionals should monitor health of the young athletes and help to reduce the risks associated with high level exercise. The following project is an evaluation and follow-up program of high-level athletes, aiming at gathering key-information on long-term effects of high-level training on cardio-respiratory and metabolic parameters. Our aims will be

1. to establish a long-term program of systematic evaluation and follow-up of cardiorespiratory health and performance of high elite athletes. 2. to evaluate the prevalence of respiratory, circulatory and metabolic problems among high-level athletes 3. to evaluate the effects of treatments on cardiorespiratory conditions and exercise performance in athletes who need asthma medication.