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Airway disorders are common in regular chlorinated swimming pool attendees, particularly competitive athletes, but the impact of intense swimming training on airway function and structure remains unclear.

This study aimed to evaluate airway inflammation and remodeling in elite swimmers.

Twenty-three elite swimmers were tested during off-training season. All had exhaled nitric oxide measurement, methacholine test, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea challenge, allergy skin prick tests, and bronchoscopy with bronchial biopsies. Clinical data and tissues from 10 age-matched mild-asthmatic and 10 healthy nonallergic subjects were used for comparison.

Swimmers had increased airway mucosa eosinophil and mast cell counts than did controls (P < .05). They had more goblet cell hyperplasia and higher mucin expression than did healthy or asthmatic subjects (P < …