1.) Exercise can help mitigate the symptoms of asthma. One way that it can help is by increasing the
strength of the left ventricles allowing better blood flow. It increases the blood flow to the lungs
increasing oxygenation. The intercostal muscles will become stronger allowing stronger
breathing. Exercise can also help reduce inflammation.
2.) Bronchodilators that are beta agonists have the highest affinity for the beta 2 receptor. Beta 2
receptors can cause vasodilation and lungs to expand more than normal. Beta 1 receptors act in
the heart increasing cardiac output.
3.) The symptoms of bronchoconstriction are coughing, lightheadedness and shortness of breath. It
is caused by the temperature and humidity stimulating the muscles around the airway constrict.
I would recommend altitude training to help the body get used to the intense conditions. It
would also increase the amount of red blood cells. If this does not work and bronchodilators are
legal for their specific competition, I would start them on a low dose.
4.) I believe that bronchodilators should be either highly controlled or banned for competition.
Bronchodilators increase the ability for oxygen to be put into the blood by increasing breathing.
This would be helpful for most types of athletes. For athletes in sports like distance running,
cycling and soccer, an increase ease of breathing would help delay fatigue and oxygen deficit.
Even for sports like MMA, which are highly explosive, gassing out is a major problem for athletes.
Having more vital oxygen capacity will help with this. Another factor that needs to be considered
when looking at drugs in sports is the proverbial race to the bottom. If something can provide an
advantage, athletes will be inclined to take more and more to maximize that advantage. Chronic
and high dose use of most drugs leads to tolerance of the positive effects and an increasing of
the negative effects. Bronchodilators can cause the muscles of the airways to spasm and
potentially lethal increases of asthma symptoms.