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Prevalence and Characteristics of Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in High School and College Athletes at 2,240 m
Martín Becerril-Ángeles1, Mario H Vargas2,3, Leonardo Hernández-Pérez4
1Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico.
Background:
Athletes practicing strenuous physical activities may develop exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). We aimed to determine the prevalence and features of this condition in Mexico City (altitude, 2,240 m).
Methods:
In the present study, 208 high school and college athletes performed a standardized EIB test on a treadmill.
Results:
Responses to exercise had large between-subject variability in all physiological parameters (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1], heart rate, blood oxygen saturation level [SpO2], blood pressure), with nearly similar proportions of subjects in whom FEV1 increased or decreased. According to the recommended cut-off value of 10% FEV1 decrease, only 15 (7.2%) athletes had a positive EIB test. Weight lifters were more prone to develop EIB (three out of seven athletes; p = 0.01). Subjects with a positive EIB test already had a lower baseline forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio (96.4 vs. 103.2% of predicted, respectively; p = 0.047), and developed more respiratory symptoms after exercise than subjects with a negative test. There were no differences with respect to age, gender, body mass index, history of asthma or atopic diseases, smoking habit, and exposure to potential indoor allergens.
Conclusions:
The relatively low prevalence of EIB in athletes from Mexico City raises the possibility that high altitude constitutes a protective factor for EIB. In contrast, weight lifters were especially prone to develop EIB, which suggests that repetitive Valsalva maneuvers could be a novel risk factor for EIB. There was a large between-subject variability of all physiological responses to exercise.
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