How does a warm-up period before exercise help EIA?
Studies have shown that during repeated bouts of exercise within a short period, the amount of airway narrowing that occurs gets progressively less. The term “refractory period” has been used to describe the period of time after an initial bout of exercise during which if a second period of exercise is undertaken, the amount of airway obstruction is less. The duration of the refractory period seldom exceeds 40 minutes. An individual can thus limit the amount of airway obstruction during vigorous activity by first undertaking a short warm-up period. This strategy may be practical for scheduled activities but not for spontaneous ones or activities that are part of daily life.
