Figure skaters and Asthma

[sillylionlove]

Last night on E-60, a sports investigative report show on ESPN, they had a segment last night on about ice rinks.

Basically they were talking about how figure skaters, hockey players and speek skaters have a 2-3 times higher rate of asthma as compared to other athletes. The reason...the zamboni!! Really this is no joke. They stated that the amount of times that these athletes spend indoors in ice rinks that aren't that well ventilated and the zamboni's that aren't properly tuned is bad. Basically they stated that the zamboni gives off carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide in high levels if they are not properly tuned since most of them run on propane and natural gas. In addition, they produce particles that can't be seen that lay on the ice for a long time and the skaters breathe them in since they spend a great deal of time on the ice. They tested this ice rink in Tampa Bay, Florida and it was really high in particles and a number of hockey skaters there got really sick and had to go to the hospital with nitrious oxide poisoning! It was pretty interesting.


this is a link to the video for the show. Go to the video labeled "danger in the air" for the actual story.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4068133&categoryid=3060647

If the link doesn't work, go to espn.com , clink on the link for video and then to go E-60.

I was wondering how many figure skaters have asthma. I know that Tonya Harding had asthma and if I remember correctly it was very bad. I also think that Charlie White has asthma as well.

 

[siberia82]

Thanks for sharing the video clip, sillylionlove. I had no idea that zambonis could cause pulmonary problems.

Canadian skater Jayson Dénommée suffers from asthma, which is why he frequently ran out of steam during the second half of his long programs.

 

[i love to skate]

This doesn't suprise me. There are many rinks I have skated at where you can literally taste or smell the fumes. I know many skaters who suffer from asthma...It definetly is something that needs to be improved!

 

[Dee4707]

I was wondering how many figure skaters have asthma. I know that Tonya Harding had asthma and if I remember correctly it was very bad.

She also smoked so that didn't help. I think there was a report that Sasha Abt had asthma and that's why he ran out of steam in the long program. I don't know if he smoked or not.

 

[Mathman]

It seems like you ought to be able to make an electric Zamboni

 

[sillylionlove]

They do make an electric zamboni but it's very very expensive and very few rinks buy them because of the price. That was also in the piece!! And it was just about ice rinks...not your arenas!!!

 

[R.D.]

interesting, but not surprising to me in the least.

Also, I'd imagine that you'd at least get SOME of that in the arenas, but they are much larger and maybe ventilated better (?) than a dedicated ice rink (correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[sillylionlove]

interesting, but not surprising to me in the least.

Also, I'd imagine that you'd at least get SOME of that in the arenas, but they are much larger and maybe ventilated better (?) than a dedicated ice rink (correct me if I'm wrong)

Yes they are and also they are not using zambonis every day a few times a day. Most arenas are used for other events (basketball, concerts, etc.) where as ice rinks are used just for skating things and they use the zamboni's quite often.

 

[Ladskater]

Thanks for sharing the video clip, sillylionlove. I had no idea that zambonis could cause pulmonary problems.

Canadian skater Jayson Dénommée suffers from asthma, which is why he frequently ran out of steam during the second half of his long programs.

Thanks for mentioning Jayson, he (in my opinion) would have been up there at the top if his health problem had not prevented him. He is a great jumper. It's always a shame when a skater gets side-lined by his or her health. Also should mention Nicole Watt who suffers with arthritis. She too is very talented and is sure missed on the Canadian team.

 

[Icechick86]

Wow, that is kind of scary. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Dee4707]

Also should mention Nicole Watt who suffers with arthritis. She too is very talented and is sure missed on the Canadian team.

Lad, do you have an update on her??

 

[dorispulaski]

Chenjiang Li has asthma. I always thought it was from the foul air from unregulated coal burning electric plants that makes a smurr throughout some Chinese cities, but perhaps it was badly regulated zambonis.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Chenjiang Li has asthma. I always thought it was from the foul air from unregulated coal burning electric plants that makes a smurr throughout some Chinese cities, but perhaps it was badly regulated zambonis.

I shouldn't have laughed, but I did.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

The whole concept of athletics in an Ice Box (hockey included) was talked about those athletes getting pulmonary problems later in life. Sonia had leukemia but that's a white blood cell problem.

Many skaters did not get any problems but then most people never got the Plague.

 

[sashaisgreat]

A lot of US skaters have asthma. I was on the bus with a bunch of Junior and Senior ice dancers and a few freestylers at nationals one year (I volunteered). I found an inhaler and said "does this belong to anybody?" More than 1/2 the bus reached into their bags to see if they had lost theirs. I was shocked by the number of athletes who apparently used inhalers. It made me chuckle about the big deal made out of Tanya Harding asthma. Maybe hers was worse but it seems that it's quite common in figure skating. And by the way.... the inhaler didn't belong to anyone on the bus.

 

[dorispulaski]

The medications available were worse then. I've seen her choke for 10 or more minutes following a performance while using the inhaler. In fact, I recall an interview with Tonya prewhack about her 1991 season aftermath. Apparently, she learned about a different asthma medication than the one she was using that was more effective and was ok with the Olympic drug rules.

 

[sashaisgreat]

Yes, that does sound a lot worse. I know that there is exercised induced asthma and chronic asthma and the severity can really vary from person to person.

Also, I read a report several years ago about a skater filing a law suit against a rink because the Zam fumes made her sick. However, I think it was her liver not asthma. It was somewhere in Florida.. The rink had low ceilings and bad ventilation. I never heard what happened. Rinks should probably use electric zams. Some do but they are very expensive

 

[dorispulaski]

I wonder whether that's the same rink in the original piece?

 

[sashaisgreat]

Possibly , but I think it was Miami. I remember being surprised that they even had ice rinks in Miami. That's a lot of air conditioning.

 

[kyla2]

Asthma

Asthma is not caused by Zambonis. However, Zamboni emissions can aggravate it. Cold can aggravate asthma big time. These are all things ice skaters who actually have asthma have to deal with. Frankly, I wonder how many people use these bronchodilators for performance improvement. More O2 more stamina.

Tonya Harding had significant asthma. It is amazing what she actually accomplished, considering how limited asthma medications were back then. I know she had major issues, character, legal and otherwise, but this kid surmounted tremendous odds to get as far she did.