Despite the long history and widespread use of the eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea (EVH) test in clinical practice, data to support its position as the ‘gold standard’ in the diagnosis of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in athletes are scarce.

The EVH test demonstrates poor test–retest reliability in athletes with mild EIB, and the implications for performance or health in an athlete with a 10–15 % fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s following EVH still require elucidation.

The EVH test has a key role in diagnosing EIB in athletes but should not be termed the ‘gold standard’.