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Time course of lung volume changes during prolonged treadmill exercise.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Prolonged running significantly reduces forced vital capacity (FVC) and total lung capacity (TLC) in runners. These lung volume changes during exercise suggest multiple physiological mechanisms are at play.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Exercise Science
- Pulmonary Function
Background:
- Marathon running is known to decrease forced vital capacity (FVC).
- Understanding the time course of lung volume alterations during prolonged exercise is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the time course of lung volume changes during prolonged treadmill running.
- To compare lung function alterations during treadmill running versus marathon running.
Main Methods:
- 11 runners performed a 2.5-hour treadmill run at 70% VO2max.
- Forced vital capacity (FVC) and residual volume (RV) were measured before, during, and after the run.
- Lung volumes were assessed at 30-minute intervals.
Main Results:
- During the first 60 minutes, RV and TLC showed non-significant decreases.
- Between 90 and 150 minutes, FVC significantly decreased (P < 0.05).
- TLC remained unchanged, and RV showed a non-significant increase during the later stages of the run.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged exercise, like treadmill running, alters pulmonary function.
- The observed decrease in FVC during treadmill running was less pronounced than typically seen after a marathon.
- The findings suggest that marathon running places a greater demand on the lungs compared to this treadmill exercise protocol.