Said it before and will say again. Asthma is like breathing with a plastic bag over your head.

What is the coughing and wheezing I have after most my races? I call it exercise induced asthma.

Actually, a primary care doctor should be able to help you manage simple cases of allergy and asthma, if this is that, and they should know when they need to refer you to a specialist. The medical specialists in question are often called allergists, since many cases of asthma or exercise-induced bronchoconstriction probably involve allergies. The American federation is the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. https://acaai.org/locate-an-allergist

To another question, I actually don’t know how often people who are not suffering from allergies or asthma will cough and wheeze after a hard effort. Now that my allergies are under control, I think I mainly just gasp for air and sometimes flop down dramatically on the grass after a hard effort. I would posit that coughing and wheezing are a potential sign you might want to consult a doctor. I think a lot of us grow up without realizing that some of our respiratory symptoms may be attributable to allergies. I didn’t realize until I moved to Washington DC, where allergies are really bad, and I really started wheezing a bit at rest and I started needing inhalers regularly.

Thanks. I should clarify that this is not just a coughing/gasping after a hard effort. I feel fine during the workout and immediately after it, then it onsets later. Like today I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes this morning, felt fine before that with no cough, cough sets in a little after I finish and it's ~12 hours later now and I still have a dry cough.

Today I scheduled a primary care appointment for next week.

ask your Primary to order
1. Pre and post bronchodilator Spirometry
2. Exhaled nitric oxide (if available)

start there first

I had the same problem or worse one maybe 2 years ago.
I could not stop coughing. Coughing was consecutive and seemed caused by tickleness(?) from the deep inside throat or bronchi. I thought I have pneumonia or Tuberculosis (the worst case, low possibility) or bronchitis.

I visited 3~4 doctors and they said I just have acute upper respiratory infection and prescribed meaningless tablets. One day my symptom got really worse, It was almost impossible to fall asleep for the never ending coughing drove me crazy and I also could not attend any class in college. So I went to a really big hospital ran by a university. A doctor did the same tests and concluded I have asthma.

It started after an attempt to break local hill climbing record on dusty, April day. At that time air of local area was filled with various pollen and nitric oxide, sulfuric oxide caused by car fumes...

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Stay home, stay healthy.

now you mention the key word, wheezing. So then its a maybe

I often had a cough after exercise, age 15 to 45.. my adult onset EIA started age 45, I would get tunnel vision, near blackouts, and saturated oxygen levels around 80% (normal is 95-100) while working out. It was completely different.
A dry cough after exercise is unlikely to be EIA, typically it starts during hard efforts and doesn't wait for you to finish.

If anyone you know has an albuterol/salbutamol inhaler, try that before a workout. It will help if the problem is EIA.
Get a peak flow meter and test before and after exercise. If the peak flow drops it may be EIA.

This is the same condition that doctors say I have. Symptoms are definitely exacerbated by very hard efforts in cold weather, or even now that it's warmer possibly made worse by seasonal allergies (which I wouldn't otherwise notice). Even after a long race like IM if I have a really strong run, it's hard for me to stop so suddenly at the finish (was taken into the med tent on one occasion but the results were worth it). Taking the time for a gradual cooldown from hard efforts eases the symptoms significantly. Either way I often have a bit of a cough for the rest of the day.

Maybe 10 years ago I was prescribed an inhaler but by doing a good cooldown I found I can get by without it. Worst case I try to go for a light jog or spin (not too lightly) until breathing returns to normal.

That said, always good to get checked out to make sure you're not dealing with anything more serious.

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Kiwami NA Racing Team

Thanks all for the advice.

I have taken Salbutamol for the last 37 years for EIA. I experienced restricted breathing during exercise, and became allergic to cats, dogs, dust, etc. I would suggest reducing or eliminating dairy, wheat and sugar from your diet first, consulting with a good acupuncturist, and seeing if you can eliminate the tickle, before resorting to drugs. Drugs should be the last resort, because you will be on them for the rest of your life.

Both pre and post bronchodilator spirometry is important. It is also very important to emphasize how active you are. I had pretty severe childhood asthma, that went away for a good 40 years. When it came back, I knew immediately what it was. When I talked with my GP, they did a pre-bronchodilator spirometry and I blew something like 125% predicted, because I was in such good shape....which left them saying "what are you complaining about". I saw an allergist who did the pre and post spirometry, and you could clearly see the asthma component. I am now well controlled with medications.

just like a chiropractor told me they could cure asthma... no.

I've had similar (but not quite the same) symptoms after endurance exercise for the past 4 to 5 years. For me it's not a dry cough, but a wetter one that seems to be associated with a little bit of fluid or mucousy build up. I mostly get it during bikes and swims, but sometimes runs too, and more severely during or after harder efforts/intervals. I've always thought it was just a side effect of the general allergies and mild congestion I have nearly year round and dealt with most of my life. Never thought too much about it as it's mostly an annoyance, but I have sometimes wondered if it could actually be limiting my O2 uptake/processing.

I'm 55 and had exactly the same symptoms start a couple of years ago. Primary care doctor diagnosed EIA and prescribed daily Claritin and an Albuterol inhaler prior to exercise. I take two puffs before I start an intense workout and two after, if necessary. It has been great!