Which of the following can occur during cold-weather exercise?

• A. Exercise-induced asthma
• B. Hyperthermia
• C. Hyperglycemia
• D. Overhydration

Answer: (A)

Cold, dry air during exercise readily irritates the airways of people who are prone to bronchoconstriction, so they can experience exercise-induced asthma. When you breathe rapidly through the mouth in cold weather, the airways cool and dry, triggering a cascade of airway smooth muscle tightening and inflammation that leads to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath during or after activity. This makes exercise in the cold a common scenario where this condition can appear.

Hyperthermia wouldn’t be expected in cold weather, since overheating is tied to hot conditions. Hyperglycemia isn’t a typical direct result of exercising in the cold unless a person has a metabolic condition, and overhydration is not a usual outcome of cold-weather exercise.