Acute Reduction in Spirometry Values After Prolonged Exercise Among Recreational Runners

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Physiology
• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Science

Background:

• Prolonged endurance exercise, such as running marathons, may lead to acute reductions in spirometric lung function.
• Investigating factors influencing post-exercise lung function changes is crucial for understanding athlete health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine changes in spirometry (lung function tests) before and after prolonged endurance running.
• To identify predictors of a significant post-exercise reduction in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁).

Main Methods:

• Conducted spirometry tests on 79 participants 1-2 days before and 25 minutes after a half-marathon or marathon.
• Recruited participants at a pre-race exposition and obtained informed consent.

Main Results:

• A subgroup of 23 runners experienced a ≥10% decrease in FEV₁ post-race, with mean FEV₁, FVC, and PEF 19-24% lower.
• The remaining 56 runners showed <6% change in spirometry values.
• Older age was associated with a decreased likelihood of experiencing a significant post-exercise FEV₁ reduction.

Conclusions:

• Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is the likely cause of reduced post-race FEV₁.
• Prolonged endurance exercise caused approximately 20% reduction in lung function for individuals with EIB.
• Age was the sole predictor of EIB, which did not impact recreational runners' finish times.