Need your help with my research project...

[EIB]

Hi, my name is David Brinton. I'm a sports medicine fellow in Southern California doing a research project on exercise induced asthma in rock climbers. If you have 3-5 minutes to fill out a survey, I would be most grateful. It's totally anonymous, just follow this link to a survey I've set up on SurveyMonkey:

 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=434382068437

Thanks, hope you all get to go climbing soon!!!

[knotzen]

Just curious...I assume you are trying to quantify the effects of chalk dust on the respiratory system? Looking for a correlation of chalk dust to exercise-induced asthma?

[billcoe]

Good luck with the survey. However, the quesiton "Do you use chalk while climbing".

 

Yes

No.

 

May not be the best choices. For me, the correct answer is "usually not".

 

Respiratory and health issues are important to me. I've noted at least 1 death of a young indoor gym worker to some strange lung disease to know to avoid chalk generally.

 

good luck dude.

 

BTW: added

 

us govenment: No long term studies

Edited April 29, 2006 by billcoe

[dalius]

It can't be good for you. Stone Gardens is an extremely dusty place and I was psyched to see them put up the large air filter a few months ago. Turns out that thing had to be cleaned several times a day. I think they got rid of it because it wasn't having any effect. Anyway, their new solution is to get rid of all the pea gravel that is the source of this dust (chalk seems to have very little effect on air quality in there - it's the constant moving around of those dusty pebbles). They're going to replace it all with mats like the ones at the IMA I think. Maybe this coming fall. I can't imagine how bad it would be to work there and to be exposed to that dust every day.

[archenemy]

I remember this discussion many years ago with school teachers. I think I even remember them going to court over it. Maybe there is some background help there?

[catbirdseat]

It can't be good for you. Stone Gardens is an extremely dusty place and I was psyched to see them put up the large air filter a few months ago. Turns out that thing had to be cleaned several times a day. I think they got rid of it because it wasn't having any effect. Anyway, their new solution is to get rid of all the pea gravel that is the source of this dust (chalk seems to have very little effect on air quality in there - it's the constant moving around of those dusty pebbles). They're going to replace it all with mats like the ones at the IMA I think. Maybe this coming fall. I can't imagine how bad it would be to work there and to be exposed to that dust every day.

The pebbles are effective. It will be a pain in the ass dragging mats around. Too bad they can't figure out a way to clean the gravel. It would take some sort of invention, like a combination rototiller/vacuum cleaner. Here's a chance for a patent if you can solve this.

[archenemy]

tumbler

[dalius]

As far as I know, the majority of the mats are going to be permamnent (fixed to the ground), and there will be others to drag around on top of that to provide you with some extra protection.

 

I agree that the pebbles as far as being the most efficient and safe way to dissipate energy from your fall. It's the dust problem though, which is major, that makes them undesireable.

[chucK]

Yep, the pebbles are great as cushioning but have long been an obvious problem indoors in the Seattle-area gyms. An influence of the UW Rock with unforseen problems?

 

They should take the pebbles from the gyms and use them for the Marymoor Rock (if they haven't already wizened up and put in pea gravel there).

[Roscoe_M]

There is a disease called silicosis which is caused by the long term inhaling of silica. Virtully all rocks are made of silica. Beware of this if you work in a gravel pit, dusty road construction, ... rock gym with lots of pea gravel dust, etc.

[Dechristo]

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

[EWolfe]

I thought chalk was fairly inert to the human body?

[billcoe]

I thought chalk was fairly inert to the human body?

 

E - It is. The problem is, nobody knows how much will put you over the line. At one time, coal miners were unaware that the coal and rock dust in the air would kill them.

 

So hears a question to you: did managining a rock gym contribute to Staceys strange lung cancer?

 

Story: lymphangioleiomyomatosis in Stacey Lim, she needed a lung transplant

 

Iamthe wallress on RC.com says: " Stacey Li Colver manages Twisters climbing gym in Mountain View and coaches their childrens competative team. She founded the SF Bay Area Chapert of SheClimbs several years ago, and this last year went on to become the national president of this large women's climbing organization. In my time with SheClimbs, I've seen her get so many young girls and women of all ages stoked on this amazing activity. In fact, it's through SheClimbs that I took my first 'real' climbing trip, and Stacey stepped up to be my partner.

 

Sadly, Stacey has recently been diagnosed with an incredibly rare disease known as lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). Statistically, it is fatal within 10 years of diagnosis unless she can get a lung transplant. Her case is in an advanced state. "

 

BTW, she got the transplant and finally pulled through. I had read earlier of anothor chica dying of some strange sounding lung cancer - disease. Did being in a rock gym contribute to it?

 

Nobody knows with certainty, we all are left to draw our own conclusions.

 

I try to avoid chalking up if I don't need it. Like in the gym, like 90 percent of the time bouldering, like just doing laps - most of the time. Like doing a classic with Joseph well, most of the time.

 

Staceys journal here: No fucking fun at all

 

She's still fighting rejection of the transplanted lung, good luck girl!

[EIB]

I apologize for the late follow up on this post, thanks for the feedback and for those of you have taken the survey.

 

knotzen, your assumption of the study's purpose is correct. I would like to be able to find some correlation between EIB and chalk. Currently no data exist in the medical literature on this relationship either because it hasn't been studied or I did not search broadly enough. If anyone knows of a good study out there, let me know.

 

billcoe: thanks for the link on mag carb (chalk), very interesting, as you can see, not many studies done in the athletic population. Also was interesting to note the effects on the respiratory system. I think there is an understood concept that any kind of irritant that gets into the lungs with cause...irritation, just wanted to see if it can be proven in the climbing setting. Thanks for the suggestion on the survey as well. When I was writing the survey, I thought that was a given, that everybody would answer yes. I'll take your comments into consideration.

 

archenemy: thanks for the heads up on school teachers! I didn't even think of them, I'll look that up...

 

Dechristo: thanks for the introduction of a sweet word, I had to look it up... pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

It is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "a factitious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust' but occurring chiefly as an instance of a very long word." I haven't progressed to that point, I mean of lung disease/chronic exposure, just looking at short term exposure and its potential effects on performance.

 

Feel free to email anytime with great suggestions and ideas as above, this is a great forum.

 

My training is in Family Medicine (M.D.) and have been doing a fellowship in Sports Medicine, this is our year end research project. I'm not an expert in pulmonary medicine but keep the suggestions coming and I'll try to incorporate them into the project and this discussion!

 

thanks,

 

Dave