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Sport pratiqué au froid: Le cocktail Molotov des poumons / Sports in the Cold: 
A Perfect Storm for the Lungs

  • January 6, 2021
  • Ned Morgan
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Some new facts about high-intensity sports in cold weather. Mots :: Pascaline David // illustration :: Dave Barnes.

Sports-in-the-Cold-A-Perfect-Storm-for-the-Lungs-illustration-by-Dave-Barnes

 

Il vous est peut-être déjà arrivé de tousser après avoir mangé de la crème glacée, ou bien après une sortie en ski par -20 °C. Souvent anodine, cette réaction respiratoire peut toutefois prendre de l’ampleur et devenir chronique chez les athlètes de haut niveau, qui pratiquent leur sport de façon intense et répétée dans le froid pendant plusieurs années.

Du jour au lendemain, Ray Canton, athlète de ski de fond ontarien, s’est mis à tousser de manière incontrôlée après une saison d’entraînement intense pour la Masters World Cup en Europe, en 2013. La toux se déclenche pendant les moments de repos, avant de redescendre un sommet qu’il vient de gravir par exemple, et dure plusieurs dizaines de minutes.

« L’été, je n’ai pratiquement aucun symptôme », raconte le skieur. Canton a dès lors passé des tests et le diagnostic est tombé : il n’est pas asthmatique, mais a développé une hyper réactivité bronchique.

« Jusqu’à 40 % des athlètes de haut niveau [contre 15 % dans la population générale] qui s’entraînent de façon régulière dans le froid peuvent développer cette réaction », indique le Dr Louis-Philippe Boulet, pneumologue à l’Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec et professeur à l’Université Laval. « Les symptômes s’apparentent à ceux d’un asthme léger causé par une irritation des bronches. »

Plusieurs études, dont l’une publiée par Boulet et d’autres chercheurs dans le European Respiratory Journal, démontrent que les athlètes réagissent en fait aux changements de températures et de taux d’humidité. En respirant l’air froid et sec, les voies aériennes sont déshydratées ce qui peut provoquer une réaction, même si le sportif n’a jamais eu de faiblesse respiratoire ou d’asthme auparavant.

 

Sports-in-the-Cold-A-Perfect-Storm-for-the-Lungs-illustration-by-Dave-Barnes-negative-filter

 

La bonne nouvelle est que ceux qui pratiquent les sports d’hiver de manière récréative sont très peu concernés. Ils peuvent parfois développer un asthme très léger qui disparaît avec le temps.

Guérison et prévention

Toujours en proie à ces réactions sept ans plus tard, Canton a ses propres stratégies pour minimiser les effets du froid. Il utilise un masque inventé par les Suédois et doté de filtres qui rendent l’air inspiré plus chaud et humide afin de protéger les voies respiratoires. Une autre technique consiste à déclencher la toux pendant l’échauffement, puis de l’apaiser avec un inhalateur afin d’être plus tranquille pendant la compétition.

Boulet recommande la médication sous forme d’aérosol si l’athlète a développé de l’asthme chronique, ce qui n’est pas toujours le cas. « Sinon, c’est de la prévention : il faut utiliser des masques filtrants ou bien ne pas faire un sport intense quand la température est inférieure à -15 °C ou -20 °C afin d’éviter les dommages à long terme », conseille l’expert en médecine sportive qui a consacré plusieurs études scientifiques à ce sujet.

De manière générale, Boulet recommande de suivre les symptômes de près et estime que d’autres recherches doivent être menées pour mieux comprendre ce phénomène qui touche aussi… les chiens de traîneau.

L’air froid et notre santé

Une récente étude publiée dans la revue scientifique Clinical and Translational Allergy a montré que les effets de l’air froid se font aussi ressentir de façon indirecte. « Quand il fait froid, les gens se confinent dans des édifices hermétiques et se retrouvent en contact accru avec des allergènes ou des irritants, car il y a moins de ventilation à l’intérieur », commente le Dr Louis-Philippe Boulet.

La pollution de l’air, combinée à l’augmentation des allergènes de même que l’utilisation d’air climatisé peuvent accentuer le développement de réactions bronchiques chez les personnes en proie à des faiblesses respiratoires.

*        *        *

Have you ever had a coughing fit after eating ice cream or directly following a chilly -20 C ski session? Although often quite harmless, this respiratory reaction can snowball and lead to chronic respiratory distress for elite athletes that repeatedly practice high-intensity sports in cold weather over several years.

Overnight, Ray Canton, an elite cross-country skier from Ontario, started coughing uncontrollably after an intense training season in preparation for the 2013 Masters World Cup in Europe. For example, Canton would experience ten-minute-long coughing fits when trying to rest after climbing to the top of a mountain he intended to ski back down.

 

Sports-in-the-Cold-A-Perfect-Storm-for-the-Lungs-illustration-by-Dave-Barnes-blue-filter

 

“I had no symptoms whatsoever throughout the summer,” insists the skier. Canton immediately got tested and received a swift verdict: He wasn’t asthmatic but had developed bronchial hyperresponsiveness.

“Up to 40 per cent of elite athletes [compared to 15 per cent of the general population] that train regularly in cold weather are at risk of developing this reaction”, says Dr. Louis-Philippe Boulet, a pulmonologist at the Québec Heart and Lung Institute and professor at Laval University. “Individuals with this condition experience asthma-like symptoms caused by irritation to the bronchial tubes.”

Several studies, including one conducted by Boulet and associates published in the European Respiratory Journal, show that these athletes are in fact reacting to changes in temperature and humidity. Breathing in cold, dry air causes the airways to become dehydrated and provokes a reaction, even if the athlete has never experienced any respiratory or asthmatic symptoms in the past.

The good news is that the average person that enjoys occasionally participating in winter sports is at a very low risk. They could, however, still develop very mild asthmatic symptoms that usually disappear over time.

Cure and Prevention

Still faced with the same reactions seven years later, Canton has come up with a few of his own ways to deal with the effects of the cold on his body. He uses a mask invented in Sweden with special filters that help heat and humidify the air he breathes to protect his airways.

Another one of his techniques is to trigger a coughing fit during his warm-up and then calm it down using an inhaler in hopes of avoiding a flare-up during competition.

Boulet recommends using aerosol medications if the athlete has developed chronic asthma, which isn’t always the case. “The other option is prevention—one has to wear a filter mask or simply stop practising high-intensity sports when the temperature drops below -15 C or -20 C to prevent any long-term damage,” recommends the sports medicine expert with several scientific studies on the subject under his belt.

In any case, Boulet recommends closely monitoring any symptoms and believes that more research still needs to be done to better understand this phenomenon—that can also affect sled dogs.

Cold Air and our Health

A recent study published in Clinical and Translational Allergy shows that cold air can also have an indirect effect on our health. “When it’s cold outside, people tend to stay confined to airtight indoor spaces where various allergens and irritants have accumulated because there is less ventilation,” says Dr. Louis-Philippe Boulet.

The pollutants and allergens often found in air-conditioned environments can increase the risk of developing bronchial reactions in some people with weaker respiratory systems.

Quelles frontières / What Limit? Winter-Spring ’21 Vie en Montagne Out Now

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Do Not Disturb mode activated ✅ #mountainlifer
Conceived by superhuman snowboarder @travisrice, the @naturalselection Tour highlights earth’s premier riders, from big-mountain mavens to Olympians, all competing on the most stoketastic—and unpredictable—terrain known to humankind.
Built upon a shared desire to enjoy, respect, and advocate for Alberta’s incredible landscapes, it was a natural fit for @elementsoutfitters to work with a local conservation organization @saltslandtrust to highlight the province’s rugged beauty and outdoor apparel to match.
THE UNINVITED INVITATIONAL April 13-16 @woodwardtahoe 😱 $40,000 cash prize purse and a whole lotta spotlight on a group of riders whose time has finally come!! Presented by @jess.kimura and @thenorthface and supported by @yeti @capitasupercorp @slushthemagazine @unionbindingco @smithoptics @sunbum @coalheadwear @fattire 🫡 watch the finals in person Saturday April 15 and join the crew + @btbounds for a public ride day Sunday April 16 @borealmtn. Time to make some history!!! #linkinbio to learn more!
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