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Background: The prevalence of rhinitis in athletes has frequently been studied in combination with asthma, but the impact of exercise on the paracrine and secretory functions of nasal mucosa is less well established. This systematic review aimed to examine the effect of exercise on nasal mucosa in elite athletes., Method: A systematic search of Medline, Embase and the non-Medline subset of PubMed, from inception to 8th March 2016, was performed to identify studies on rhinitis in athletes., Results: Of the 373 identified unique articles, a total of 8 studies satisfied the criteria for this review., Conclusion: There is no evidence in the existing literature that indicates a reduction in nasal airway induced by exercise. Olfaction and mucociliary transport time are affected in swimmers, which can likely be attributed to chlorine irritation and which resolves with training cessation. Short-term strenuous exercise may trigger changes in cytology and prolonged mucociliary transport time, which also resolve quickly with rest.

Background: There have been recent advances in our appreciation of the functional complementarity of the upper and lower airways. The unified airway begins at the nose: rather than acting merely as a conduit for air to the lungs, the nose and nasal cavity perform an important role in filtering, humidification and immune surveillance., Methods: The physiological and pathological responses of the nasal cavity to exercise and regular training are examined in this narrative review, with specific reference to the relation of nasal health to quality of life, lower airway health and upper respiratory tract infections. Relevant literature is examined and placed in clinical context., Results: There is considerable published evidence to support nasal dysfunction associated with exercise, and a link to lower airway dysfunction. Evidence also supports the role of upper and lower airway dysfunction in the development of upper respiratory tract infection symptoms., Conclusion: Nasal dysfunction in exercise may be a source of considerable morbidity to the regular exerciser, and further research into exercise-induced rhinitis is recommended.

Objectives: Nasal disease imposes a significant disease burden upon the individual in the general population, but is relatively under studied in athletes. This study sought to define the frequency of nasal symptoms in the active population, and to quantify the impact of these symptoms on quality of life and on the frequency of upper respiratory tract infections. Results: A total of 296 participants completed the study (246 athletes and 50 sedentary controls). Nasal symptoms were significantly more frequent in the active group than in the sedentary controls (70 per cent vs 52 per cent). Upper respiratory tract infections were significantly more common in athletes with regular nasal symptoms than in athletes without nasal symptoms. Quality-of-life scores, as measured by the 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test, were significantly worse in athletes with regular nasal symptoms. Conclusion: This study suggests that regular exercise is associated with a significant increase in the prevalence of troubling nasal symptoms, and nasal symptoms in athletes are associated with increased susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections. Quality of life was negatively affected, confirming the importance of nasal health to athlete welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]