Rikhard Mäki-Heikkilä

I am MD PhD focusing on respiratory health in athletes at Tampere University. I also have a strong background in cross-country skiing as I was training full-time until 2017.

The purpose of this site is to write about my own research and thoughts of athletes’ health care and sometimes single-person experiments on a lighter note. The blog posts on this site should not be considered as medical advice.

The website for our research on respiratory health in athletes is available at hengitystutkimus.fi.

Contact

rikhard[at]rikhard.fi
Twitter @rikhardfi

Publications – ResearchGate – Google Scholar

Mäki-Heikkilä R. Asthma and Respiratory Symptoms in Finnish Competitive Cross-Country Skiers. (2024) https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-3277-8 (dissertation)

Mäki-Heikkilä R, Karjalainen J, Parkkari J, Huhtala H, Valtonen M, Lehtimäki L. (2023) Acute respiratory infections hamper training and competition in cross-country skiers, especially in those with asthma. Int J Circumpolar Health doi: 10.1080/22423982.2023.2223359

Mäki-Heikkilä R, Koskela H, Karjalainen J, Parkkari J, Huhtala H, Valtonen M, Lehtimäki L. (2023) Cross-country skiers often experience respiratory symptoms during and after exercise but have a low prevalence of prolonged cough. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2023;9:e001502 doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001502

Mäki-Heikkilä R, Karjalainen J, Parkkari J, Huhtala H, Valtonen M, Lehtimäki L. (2022) High training volume is associated with increased prevalence of non-allergic asthma in competitive cross-country skiers. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2022;8:e001315. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001315

Mäki-Heikkilä R, Karjalainen J, Parkkari J, Huhtala H, Valtonen M, Lehtimäki L. (2021) Higher prevalence but later age at onset of asthma in cross-country skiers compared with general population. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14040

Mäki-Heikkilä R, Karjalainen J, Parkkari J, Valtonen M, Lehtimäki L. (2020) Asthma in Competitive Cross-Country Skiers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01334-4.