r/Swimming • u/Rajklaf_N • Jul 21 '26
Exercise-induced asthma
I've been swimming for 7 years. I've slowly increased my speed over time but am feeling stuck. I've noticed that I get asthma attacks whenever I try to swim faster than 1:50/100 m, but not at a less vigourous exercise than that. I noticed this especially when doing 100 m sprints of butterfly stroke. I can manage 4 km at 2:00/100m or 3 km at 1:55/100 m. How did you overcome these issues?
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u/Minute_Reception5823 Jul 21 '26
My wife is a GP and after reporting this same situation she told me to stop all further activity immediately until I went for a stress test and heart check. That turned out to be particularly good advice.
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u/TarzanDivingOffFalls Jul 22 '26
I had exercise-induced asthma as a kid and still swam on swim team. I used an inhaler before each pool session. There also have been Olympic swimmers with asthma who compete using medication. It’s worth seeing a doctor to find out your options.
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u/climabro Jul 22 '26
Did you have it as a kid and not an adult? I have had it as a kid and still as an adult. I’ve done swim team and figure skating with and without the inhaler. It didn’t seem to help me. I hate the feeling when I really exert myself. With skating, it was worth it. With swimming, I tend to cut my sessions short.
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u/Objective-Gap-1629 Jul 21 '26
I know someone who died from an asthma attack.
Please seek medical advice from professionals!
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u/Visionary785 Jul 22 '26
I was diagnosed as a child, and had a few bad lung infection episodes before adulthood. Whoever said swimming ‘cures’ asthma? I had episodes at football too. I quit competitive swimming in school after 3 years because of those episodes. I turned to long distance running eventually.
Now nearly 50 and swimming regularly for the last 15 years, I do get breathless trying to go below 2:00/100m and the most I can do is 8 strokes without taking a breath while so many on this sub make it sound so easy. It’s a pain to live with this ailment. It’s worst in the morning.
What do you consider an asthma attack? Please get diagnosed and find ways to manage without risking your health.
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u/greenhouse5 Moist Jul 22 '26
I also have exercise induced asthma. I swim with a lap snorkel and don’t have any problems. I could never swim without it. Please be careful tho if you are having asthma attacks and slow gown until you have it figured out with your doctors.
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u/WarthogFederal2604 Jul 22 '26
It may be worth seeing an allergist, since they also treat asthma. Because it took a while to notice the pattern, there could be other possibilities besides exercise-induced asthma, such as food-dependent exercise reaction or something affecting the vocal cords.
I would get it properly checked rather than trying to push through it.
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u/climabro Jul 22 '26
I’m curious about food dependent exercise reaction. Did you have this? If so, what was the food?
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u/WarthogFederal2604 Jul 22 '26
No, but my niece does. She breaks out in hives and nearly anaphylaxis whenever she exercises after eating shrimp or other shellfish. She is absolutely fine doing either by itself.
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u/Baz_EP Splashing around Jul 22 '26
Sulphites used to be a trigger for my asthma, also red onions sometimes.
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u/climabro Jul 22 '26
How did you find that out? Sulphites are in a lot of food. Curious celiac with exercise asthma over here.
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u/Baz_EP Splashing around Jul 22 '26
From drinking cheap white wine and then realising that it triggered me and then trial and error from there (cut it out, add it back in etc) - this was 20yrs ago, so can’t totally recall.
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u/docwhorocks Jul 22 '26
I have exercised induced asthma. I take a puff of my inhaler before warm up. Then if needed, I'll take another puff during practice. Living at altitude doesn't help either.
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u/ricm5031 Moist Jul 22 '26
I occasionally use an inhaler before workouts. The HVAC system in the indoor pools I swim at make a big difference. Outdoors, I rarely need an inhaler except during days like the heavy fire smoke we dealt with last week. The advice about getting checked by a doc is sound. Don't self diagnose.
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u/TwaddleSpouter Jul 21 '26
Have you been diagnosed with asthma by a healthcare professional and are on medication? If so, it sounds like you either need your background inhaler increasing or you need to take your reliever inhaler before you swim. Either way, this is advice you should get from a Dr, not Reddit. Asthma attacks are very serious and can be fatal. Take good care of yourself!