This remains one of the most interesting areas of modern allergy which still has many questions left unanswered. But what exactly is Food Dependent Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis (FDEIA) and what is the link between exercise and allergy?

People with FDEIA have a sensitivity to a specific food and react when this food is consumed before or shortly after taking part in exercise. When not performing exercise people are able to tolerate the food as normal and are similarly able to exercise without eating the specific food. So with that all said, what's the problem?

Well the first is that the time interval between eating the trigger food and performing exercise is large; ranging from four hours before exercise to one hour after.
Second, the intensity of exercise required to trigger a reaction varies immensely from person to person. In some people intensive training may be required where in others the simple act of press ups or running for a bus may be sufficient.
Third, the symptoms are very hard to replicate within a clinical setting and therefore the diagnosis process is unfortunately lengthy. All three problems taken together make for a very difficult problem for those affected, and leaves them vulnerable to repeated reactions before a conclusive diagnosis can be made and advice is given.  Fortunately new medical technology such as component resolved diagnosis (to be visited in an upcoming article) are improving this process, although there is still much development needed in this area.

Once a diagnosis is made there still remains tough questions for the individual involved. Will the trigger food be avoided altogether to remove the risk, will meals be managed to fit around exercise commitments, or will certain aspects of exercise be sacrificed? Needless to say, meetings with a nutritionist are very important to make aware any replacement foods and what sort of foods to watch out for.