The conundrum of why Norwegian skiers are afflicted with asthma has long been a subject of debate in the medical community. According to Petter Ullberg, a medical expert who works with the Norwegian cross-country skiing team, a staggering 70 percent of the athletes suffer from asthma. While each athlete is affected in different ways, all of them require inhalers and special medications to deal with their condition.
Martin Sundby, the team's most prominent skier, has publicly discussed his asthma, attributing it to a number of his setbacks during competitions. The high prevalence of asthmatics in Norwegian skiers is believed to be caused by the physical strain and cold air associated with training for the sport, factors which tend to exacerbate the development of asthma. As such, it is quite challenging for skiers to completely recover from the condition, especially given the rigorous training and competition schedules.
However, the situation surrounding the use of asthma medication in the sport is complex. Many drugs used to treat asthma, including salbutamol, are considered to be performance-enhancing substances and are subject to strict limits on their concentration in the bloodstream of athletes. Given this, it has been suggested by some that the high incidence of asthma among Norwegian skiers may be attributed to the use of these medications, which could provide a competitive edge.
The Norwegian channel T2, for example, aired a story in 2016 in which members of the national skiing team admitted that doctors had strongly recommended that they take salbutamol, despite not having asthma, purportedly as a preventative measure.
The issue of whether Norwegian skiers actually require asthma medication is still a matter of conjecture, with some experts calling for a revision of the rules governing the use of these drugs in competitive sports. It remains to be seen whether any concrete solutions will be implemented in the near future.
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