Lung function in athletes and non-athletes aged 13-15 years

Abstract Background Regular sports or physical training contributes in increasing the body’s pulmonary function. The increase of pulmonary function is determined by the strength of respiratory muscle, thoracic compliance, upper respiratory system resistance, and pulmonary elasticity. Objective To compare pulmonary function between athletes and non-athletes aged 13-15 years. Methods This is a cross-sectional analytical study conducted on junior high school students aged 13-15 years throughout June to August 2017. Participants are classified as athletes from particular sports and non-athletes. Assessment of pulmonary function was done using a spirometry test, in which each subject was asked to inhale and exhale in a particular method. Parameters assessed include vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow (FEF) and FEV1/FVC. Differences in lung function between athletes and non-athletes were analyzed using independent T-test. Results There were 60 athletes and 60 non-athletes included in this study. The mean age of athletes and non-athletes were 13.38 (SD 0.99) years old and 13.70 (SD 0.76) years old, respectively. The statistically significant differences in mean lung function parameters between athletes and non-athletes were as follows: VC: 85.03% vs. 79.41%, respectively (P=0.035); FVC: 95.66% vs. 88.43%, respectively (P=0.016); FEV1: 102.10% vs. 94.28%, respectively (P=0.016); and FEV1/FVC: 105.95% vs. 102.69%, respectively (P=0.011). However, there were no statistically significant differences in the means of FEF 25-75% between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions Parameters of lung function in athletes are in general significantly higher than in non-athletes. [Paediatr Indones. 2018;58:159-63; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14238/ pi58.4.2018.159-63 ]. Keywords: lung function; athletes; non-athletes Regular sports or physical training may increase the body’s physiologic capacity, including respiratory function.1 The respiratory system is one of the most important body systems, in which effective gas exchange is required, especially during physical activity. Human lungs are sensitive to conditions that result in increased aerobic metabolism such as running, cycling, and swimming.1,2 The type, intensity, and duration of regular exercise that athletes practice result in different lung function measures.3 During intense physical activity, oxygen consumption as measured by maximal aerobic metabolism (VO2 max) increases. The VO2 max reflects the total amount of oxygen that can be utilized during physical training (measured in mL O2/kg body weight/min). Practicing 7 to 13weeks of physical training may increase the VO2 max by more than 10%.4 Determinants of pulmonary function include: strength of respiratory muscles, thoracic compliance, upper respiratory system resistance, and pulmonary elasticity