Abstract
The respiratory function of 10 asthmatic children showing bronchoconstriction by master two step test (24×/min, 6 min) and 8 normal school children was compared while pool swimming. The respiratory function of 27 asthmatic children and 5 normal healthy adlescents was also compared while sea swimming. In short distance (100m) pool swimming, there were only small changes in %PFR, %FVC, %FEV_<1.0>, -2.9%, -3.8%, , -7.0%, mean decrease respectively after 5 min of swimming. None of the asthmatic children were provoked into an asthmatic attack. In long distance pool swimming, the asthmatic children's respiratory function showed small changes in %PFR, %FEV_<1.0>, -4.8%, -9.5% mean decrease respectively after swimming. Two patients had slight wheezing, but this diminished after 5 min. Sea swimming, consisted of 15 min of swimming and 10 min of rest repeated 4 times. The %PFR of asthmatic children showed a 6.5% increase immediately after swimming and was still 5.1% elevated 2 hours later. Five patients out of 27, suffered slight asthmatic attacks, including 2 patients with severe bronchial asthma who showed prolonged wheezing lasting longer than 2 hours. In conclusion, swimming is an eminently suitable method of physical training for asthmatic children. But we must consider the patients' age, physical capacity and the severity of disease at the beginning of long term, regular swimming training.
