BTS publishes new Clinical Statement on the Assessment and Management of Respiratory Problems in Athletic Individuals

Participation in regular vigorous physical activity plays a key part in many people’s daily lifestyles and is associated with multiple health benefits and an enhanced quality of life. However, for some, both at professionals and amateur level, the ability to perform and enjoy sport is limited by respiratory issues.

While people present to primary care with exercise associated respiratory problems approximately once per month, there is no focused guideline on this issue to aid clinicians in diagnosis and management.

This is why with this new Clinical Statement the authors aimed to provide guidance and a pragmatic approach to the assessment of the most frequently encountered sports-related respiratory issues, in both adult and paediatric populations. For completeness, they also highlighted important considerations when helping manage athletic individuals with general respiratory disorders, e.g. an athlete with pneumonia or a pneumothorax.

The Chair of the Clinical Statement group, Dr James Hull, Consultant Respiratory Physician, Royal Brompton Hospital and member of the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health (ISEH), UCL, said:

“It was an honour to Chair the development of this clinical statement, which aims to ensure that any athletic individual struggling with breathing related problems gets the best advice on the cause of their issues and how it should be treated.”

An in-depth interview with Dr Hull is available on Respiratory Futures, and the Clinical Statement can also be read on the pages of Thorax.