Effects of ozone exposure on four consecutive days on work performance and VO2max

The effects of 4 consecutive days of 1-h exposure to 0.35 ppm ozone (O3) on maximal O2 uptake (VO2max), performance time, pulmonary function, and subjective symptom responses were studied in eight aerobically trained males. Each subject was first exposed in random order to filtered air (FA) and 0.35 ppm O3 while exercising on a bicycle ergometer for 50 min at a work load eliciting minute ventilation of approximately 60 1/min. A rapidly incremented VO2max test to volitional fatigue was completed within 10 min following each of these exposures, as well as on day 4 of the consecutive daily exposures to O3. Initial exposure to O3 induced the occurrence of subjective symptoms, as well as significant pulmonary function impairment and decrements in maximal exercise performance time (from 253 to 211 s) and VO2max (from 3.85 to 3.62 l/min). Following the fourth consecutive day of exposure to O3, pulmonary function impairment was not significantly different from initial exposure to O3, although subjective symptom severity was significantly reduced. Exercise performance time (239 s) and VO2max (3.79 l/min) on the fourth consecutive daily exposure to O3 were not significantly different from FA values. These data indicate no significant adaptation to initial O3 exposure-induced pulmonary function impairment following four consecutive daily exposures to O3, although reduced subjective symptom severity and enhanced exercise performance time on day 4 suggest an habituation effect. Our results also suggest that O3 adaptation may be a more complex phenomena than identified previously.