[Playing of wind instruments is associated with an obstructive pattern in the spirometry of adolescents with a good...

There is controversy in the medical literature regarding the beneficial or detrimental effects of playing wind musical instruments on the respiratory system. The aim of this study is to analyse this relationship, taking the physical condition of the subjects into consideration.

Cross-sectional observational study.

Public institution with coordinated medium grade musical instruction and primary and secondary education.

Young performers (between 13 and 17 years).

We collected basic epidemiological parameters (gender, age, weight, size, heath status), and each subject underwent a fitness test ("course navette" cardiorespiratory fitness test) and a forced spirometry.

We included 90 students, 53 females and 37 males. Thirty two were wind instrument players and 58 studied other instruments. The two groups were homogeneous with respect to gender, age and body mass index. The maximum oxygen uptake showed no significant difference (P=0.255), further demonstrating an adequate level of fitness compared to the general population. FVC was normal and similar in both groups (P=0.197). The FEV(1) percentage and the FEV(1)/FVC ratio were significantly lower (P<0.0005) in the "wind" group. Practice with wind instruments behaved as a predictor of pathological FEV1/FVC (<70%) in the multivariate analysis (P<0.0005).

The study of wind instruments was associated with an obstructive spirometric pattern in young musicians with a normal level of physical fitness.