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Pulmonary transit time and diffusion limitation during heavy exercise in athletes
S R Hopkins1, A S Belzberg, B R Wiggs
1Division of Sports Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Respiration Physiology
|January 1, 1996
Summary
In athletes, shorter pulmonary transit times (PTT) during exercise are linked to diffusion limitation. Increased pulmonary blood volume (PBV) may help prevent this limitation.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Pulmonary Medicine
Background:
- Pulmonary diffusion limitation can affect athletic performance.
- Understanding the physiological mechanisms during exercise is crucial for athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between pulmonary transit times (PTT) and pulmonary diffusion limitation during exercise in athletes.
- To explore the role of pulmonary blood volume (PBV) in mitigating diffusion limitation.
Main Methods:
- Studied 10 high aerobic capacity athletes at rest and during maximal exercise.
- Utilized multiple inert gas elimination analysis to assess diffusion disequilibrium.
- Calculated diffusing capacity for oxygen (DLO2) and measured pulmonary transit times (PTT) and pulmonary blood volume (PBV) using radionuclide angiography.
Main Results:
- PTT decreased significantly during exercise and correlated with diffusion limitation (r = -0.58, P < 0.05).
- PBV increased during exercise to over 25% of total blood volume and correlated with DLO2 (r = 0.82, P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Shortened PTT during exercise is associated with pulmonary diffusion limitation in athletes.
- Maximal recruitment of PBV appears to play a protective role against diffusion limitation during strenuous exercise.